Time Bomb
by Richard Ryley
Summary: The Rangers are send on a 'babysitting' mission which looks to be a breeze. But they discover a terrible secret that may cost them all their lives. From a play-by-email roleplaying game I gamemastered.
1. Babysitting

  


The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers  
  
"Time Bomb"  


  
From a play-by-E-Mail RPG  
Gamemaster: Richard Ryley  
Shane Gooseman: David Wills  
Walter "Doc" Hartford: Luther Frisch  
Zozo: James Grabowski/Stephen Long  
Buzzwang: Robert Richards  
Daisy O'Mega: Anastasia Atomaczyk  
  
Fanfic composed by Richard Ryley  
  
The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, and all related characters, are owned by Gaylord Productions. This is a work of fanfiction, and may not be distributed commertially. 

* * * * * *

  
Chapter 1  


  


Out on the edges of League Space, a thick asteroid belt circled a Black Hole. It seemed to be an inhospitable place, a region that could in no way support life, but its appearance was deceptive. Deep inside the asteroid field, there was one chunk of rock much larger than all the rest. It glittered with light, glowing from within in many colors, which shone through portals in the solid stone. 

The inhabitants of this section of space called it Entropy's Edge. And the outlaws and cutthroats who hid out on this asteroid, so far from the law and order of Earth and her allies, called themselves the Black Hole Gang. The Bureau of Extra Terrestrial Affairs, and their Galaxy Rangers, called them by that name as well. 

Daisy O'Mega preferred to call them scum. She'd been the leader of the gang for several years, until Shane Gooseman of the Galaxy Rangers tricked her, and Macross took over leadership of the gang. To be honest, it was probably all for the best. In the year since, she'd done a hell of a lot better for herself than when she'd been saddled with that pathetic band of miscreants. But the insult of it all still grated on her. 

What made it worse is that she suspected that she let herself be tricked. Shane was a handsome devil, and she had the feeling that he would have been more of a reward than any robbery would have netted. But he was a Galaxy Ranger, and although she'd asked him to go with her, before she made her escape, she would have no holds on her. She'd lived that life before, and she'd hated it. 

Even so, the Black Hole gang had almost been the biggest mistake of her life. She was running from the duty of being a full-time bounty hunter. So why on Earth did she take _on_ the responsibility of running a _gang_? No, in the end, she bore no emnity to Shane for getting her out of that mess. 

But Macross was another matter. 

Daisy looked up as her boy came into the bar. He spotted her, back there in the shadows, even though she wasn't wearing her trademark shawl, and her hat was down over her eyes. It wouldn't do for her to be recognized, right here in the enemy's camp. She knew the rock better than even Macross did, though, and she knew how to get around Entropy's Edge without being seen. 

"What have ye got for me?" she muttered, as her spy took a seat. 

"Well, earlier this week, Macross got a visit from this fellow named Killbane. Ryker Kilbane, I think his name was." 

Daisy nodded. She'd done a little research into Shane's background. This Kilbane was a Supertrooper, like Goose. Had very much the same powers, too. 

"Anyway, he said he wanted to hire Macross. Had a lot a' credits, too. A _lot_ a' credits. He said he needed a backup man for a plan to take out the Galaxy Rangers." 

"What kind o' plan?" 

"Well, that I don't know, exactly. They went into the meetin' hall, and I couldn't eavesdrop after that. If they'd caught me, they'd have strung me up for sure..." 

*Coward* Daisy thought to herself. "Dinna worry about it," she said out loud. "What makes you so sure he was after th' Rangers?" 

"Well, before they went inside, he said... and this is exactly what he said... I think... 'I've found out something that will spell the end of the Galaxy Rangers. They can't fight it, they can't run from it, they can't hide from it. You and me, Macross, we'll hold the lives of the Galaxy Rangers in our hands... especially that wimp Gooseman...'" 

Inwardly, Daisy smiled. Gooseman, a wimp? Hardly. Looks like he might be owing her a favor soon. That could prove interesting. Besides, there was no way in _Hell_ she would let something with this kind of power wind up in the hands of Macross. 

"All right, let's say I'm intrigued, then. Where is Kilbane no'?" 

"He left. He said he would take care of his part of the bargain, and Macross would stay and take care of his. Ever since then, he's had us building these weird devices... transmitters of some kind. All of Entropy's Edge is working on them." 

"Hmmm... And you dinnae where Kilbane is?" 

"Actually, yes I do. He told Macross to meet him on Prairie. The boss is also putting together a team to do some other kind of job. They've been doing some vigourous training. I'm told some of it looks like they're being trained to go up against the Rangers." 

"Okay. Thanks. I'll look inta it." The redhead dropped some coins on the table, as she left the bar, pulling her hat down a little as she vanished into the shadows. 

* * * * * *

"Galaxy Rangers... please, come in..." 

Commander Walsh gestured at the three Rangers standing in the door of his office. Zozo was already there, yawning, and Gooseman, Doc and Buzzwang filed in to stand beside him. The commander looked up at the door, as if expecting someone, then sat down at his desk. 

"I just recieved a call from Senator Wheiner. I tried to convince him that this is not Ranger business, but I'm afraid he wouldn't listen. I'm sorry to ask you all in here like this, but at least Zack and Niko are away on other business. If I had my way..." 

The burly man's speech was cut short by a commotion from out in the hall. There was the sound of running footsteps, and the protests of one of Walsh's aides. "Sir! You can't go in there! The Commander is in a meeting!" 

An imperious voice answered him. "Of _course_ he is! I _called_ that meeting! Now, out of my way!" 

"But sir!..." 

The door, already open partway, flew open as a figure strode into the room. He was a greasy-looking man, with dark greying hair and beady eyes. He wore the familiar brown uniform of a Senator, with his badge of office, a green capelet, over his shoulder. Senator Wheiner had arrived. 

"Look here, Senator..." Walsh began, but Wheiner ignored him. 

"Galaxy Rangers... I regret having to come to you, of all people, to deal with this situation, but I see no other choice. My daughter _must_ be returned to Earth _immediately_, and the utmost secrecy is needed..." 

"Now, see here!" Walsh began, but Goose interrupted. 

"Don't tell me your daughter's gone to Tortuna to shoot another Rock Video..." 

"I hope not," interjected Buzzwang. "I barely got her out alive the _last_ time..." 

"That's not..." cut in Walsh. 

"I remember that incident all too well," answered the Senator. He frowned accusingly at the Rangers. "I have tried and tried to make Eve understand that you grandstanding troublemakers are not worthy of her respect, and yet she always seems to find _some_ way of emulating you and your grandiose methods. She even had the _nerve_ to talk _back_ to me!!!!" 

"You can't blame us for that..." Zozo began, but was interrupted, as Walsh brought his walking stick forefully down on the table. All eyes turned to him as Zozo put both hands up to his pointed ears. 

"Now that I have your attention..." 

The Senator snorted. "Grandstanding son of a..." 

"When I spoke to the Senator," Walsh said loudly, cutting him off, "he said that his daughter had taken something, and gone back to Prarie, where she is currently going to school. You wouldn't tell me what it was over the comm, Senator, so what's going on?" 

"Eve broke into my private office safe, and _stole_ a top secret computer disk! You've _got_ to get her back here right away! She's probably gotten involved with some hooligans at that school, and..." 

Walsh looked startled. "Top secret information! _What_ information?" 

In a fraction of a second, the Senator went from concerned parent to a sudden and inexplicable anger. "_YOU GET THIS STRAIGHT, COMMANDER! THE INFORMATION ON THAT DISK IS TOP SECRET! NEITHER YOU NOR ANY OF YOUR RANGERS IS TO LOOK AT IT! IS THAT CLEAR_?????" 

The commander threw up his hands. "Perfectly, Senator. But how valuable is this information? Should we expect trouble? Does anyone else know about this?" 

Wheiner shook his head. "No. The information has been hidden away in my safe for the past two years. No one has seen it but my Committee." 

Walsh paused for a moment. "We'll get your daughter back, Senator Wheiner. And the disk as well." 

"All right. Just remember, that information is _TOP SECRET_." He stared at Goose, Doc and Zozo again. "If _any_ of you looks at _anything_ on that disk, I will have you all up on Contempt charges... if not _TREASON_!" 

"Settle down, Senator. The Galaxy Rangers are under my command, and if I order them not to look at the disk, they won't. And the treaty we have with the Kirwin government allows me to get an assurance from Zozo, as well." 

Zozo blinked. He'd been grinning widely, and suddenly looked as if he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

Walsh looked at the Rangers. "So... Galaxy Rangers, I order you not to look at that disk... and Zozo, I want your word as an Ambassador that you will not look at it either..." 

Zozo sighed. "Very well, Commander. But keep in mind..." He shot the Senator a dirty look. "Kirwin will not be all that happy if this turns out to be a wild goose chase." 

"_WILD GOOSE CHASE!!!_" Wheiner pulled himself up, barely containing his rage. Walsh was quick to cut in. 

"If it does, Ambassador, your government will have my utmost apology... as well as my thanks for retrieving the daughter of one of our... public servants." 

Wheiner managed to hold his look of fury for a few more moments. Then, he sighed. "Very well. Bring my daughter back..." Looking a bit deflated, he left the room. 

Walsh put a hand to his forehead. "He's gonna owe me big time for this one... my Galaxy Rangers... _baby sitting_..." 

"Commander..." Buzzwang began. "If we cannot look at the disk, how will we know if we have the right one? We will not be able to look at the label if we cannot look at the disk..." 

Walsh looked confused for a moment, then irritated. "No, Buzzwang, I don't mean that you can't look at the _case_ of the disk. I mean that you are not to access the _data_ on the disk..." He glanced at Doc. "And that means no sending Pathfinder in to read it, either..." 

Doc feigned a look of shock. "I wouldn't think of such a thing..." 

Walsh held his gaze for a moment, and Doc put up his hands. "Okay, okay! Hackers just don't get any respect..." 

Walsh shook his head. "Look fellows... I gave my word. And going around the letter of it is just as bad as breaking it. Consider that information officially off limits..." 

He paused for a moment, then glanced at the door. "Quite frankly... I don't think there's anything of any importance on that disk. Two years ago, we hadn't even met the Andorians yet. The biggest thing going on was the failure of the Supertrooper project, and I know where all that data is. So I think this is just our Senator believing that he's more important that he is." 

"If it seems like someone really wants that information, and your lives are in danger unless you know what it is, then consider yourselves as having a 'need to know'. But otherwise, humor the man..." 

Walsh leaned in a little closer. "And if anyone asks me, I'll tell them that I never told you that... so it _better_ be a matter of life and death." 


	2. Prarie

Note: This story is complete. I'm going to upload all of the chapters,   
and then change them all to HTML from the last to this one. So for   
now the first chapter is probably the only one in HTML format.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
The trip to Prairie was uneventful, and the Rangers and their Kiwi   
ally were soon walking along the paved walks and manicured lawns of the   
campus of the College of Prairie. Several students could be seen on the   
grounds, walking between classes, or sitting out in the grass studying.   
  
The native sentients of the planet, wolf-like creatures called   
Lycans, could also be seen around the campus. Many of them walked   
alongside the students as they went from class to class, or sat outside   
of a classroom, waiting. While Lycans were intelligent creatures, far  
more intelligent than a domesticated dog, their innate loyalty and  
devotion to the humans that befriended them made them excellent  
guardians.  
  
The doors swung open on a nearby building, and a crowd of students  
stepped out into the sunlight, heading off in all directions. One of  
them, a young girl in a green outfit, with her hair up in spikes,  
stopped to pet the Lycan waiting for her on the steps. It gave her a  
bark of welcome, and then she and some of her friends turned to head off  
across the campus. Then, suddenly, she spotted the Galaxy Rangers.  
  
"GOOSE!" The girl yelled, a girlish tone to her voice. She ran  
across the lawn towards Gooseman, while her friend, who had the same  
spiky hair, but in blue, pulled aside another girl. The third girl also  
seemed to recognize the Ranger, as her friend pointed him out, and they  
joined the first girl in running across the lawn.  
  
"It's so good to see you again!" The girl said, her eyes sparkling  
as she looked up at the blonde Ranger. Gooseman glanced at Doc, clearly  
confused, and more than a little embarrassed. The second girl quickly  
took his other arm, and Shane looked down at her, completely flustered.  
  
"Who... What..." he stuttered.  
  
"What are you doing back so soon?" "Where's Eve?" "You look  
hungry... you wanna get something to eat?" "Who's your cute friend?"  
  
The third girl had latched onto Doc's arm. "Don't look at me, my  
Gooseman..." Doc commented. "You're the one with the reputation..."  
  
He glanced down at the girl. "Aren't you a little young for a guy  
like me?" He asked with a grin.  
  
The girl tittered. "You're so funny..." She cooed, and held the  
Ranger's arm tighter. Doc sighed.  
  
The Lycan, approaching the group, seemed no less excited to see  
Goose. But as he neared, he suddenly stopped dead. His ears went back as  
he lowered his head, growling. In a single, rapid bound, he shoved  
himself between Gooseman and the girl in green, shoving her away from  
him.  
  
"Max! Stop that!" The girl in green admonished the wolf. She  
started to reach out to Gooseman, but the Lycan shoved her back again,  
eyeing the blonde Ranger suspiciously. "Max! This is Goose! Remember  
Goose? What is WRONG with you!"  
  
Shane began to back away, holding both hands up in front of him.  
"It's all right, Max. I won't hurt your friend."  
  
"That's right," Buzzwang added. He took a step forward. "Perhaps I  
will be less threatening, Ranger Gooseman," he said, then extended a  
hand to the Lycan.  
  
The wolf stared at the android. Its eyes narrowed, and it began  
to back away from him, its ears back on its head. Buzzwang wisely  
withdrew his hand, but Zozo stepped forward. "Lycans always like me,"  
he said, and knelt in front of the animal, extending both arms. "See!   
We're friends!"  
  
Max barked at him, loudly, causing the little Kiwi to jump back.   
The wolf then ran around behind the girl. It grabbed her by the arm,   
trying to drag her away, and she cried out. "MAX! STOP! You're hurting   
me!"  
  
The Lycan let go immediately. He ran back around in front of the  
girl, putting himself between her and the Galaxy Rangers. He looked at  
Goose, Zozo, and Buzzwang, finally staring at the android's badge for  
a long moment.  
  
Max began barking at Buzzwang, warningly. He kept looking back at  
his friend, as if frustrated that she could not understand what he was  
saying. The way he was barking at Buzz, it was almost as if he was  
telling him, as firmly as possible, to do something.  
  
Doc smiled. It suddenly occurred to him that the dog sounded just  
like Walsh did when he was barking orders. He decided not to voice that  
unflattering comparison, though. "These Lycan's are a lot smarter than  
most people realize," he said. "He clearly knows something, but he just  
can't tell us what it is."  
  
"Max..." The girl was really starting to get flustered. "You're  
embarrassing me."  
  
The wolf gave her an apologetic look. It glanced back at Gooseman,  
and then up at the young girl. It then barked, slowly and carefully,  
still trying to make itself understood.  
  
"Try gestures, Max..." Buzzwang said. "We know that you sense that  
something is wrong. We just don't understand what it is..."  
  
The Lycan stared at him for a moment. He looked at the android's  
chest, obviously at his badge. He then looked at Goose, and then at his  
badge. Quite pointedly, it sniffed the air. It shook its head, then  
looked at the android again.  
  
Buzzwang looked at Gooseman, then back at the wolf. "I believe I  
have it, Ranger Gooseman. When we arrived, these girls greeted us. But  
you do not know them, do you?"  
  
Goose looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Well... no..."  
  
"WHAT!" The girl said, clearly angry. "HOW CAN YOU..."  
  
Buzzwang put up his hand. "Young lady, how long ago did you last  
see Ranger Gooseman?"  
  
"Not three days ago," she snapped, "So you can forget whatever  
kinda..."  
  
"Please, miss..." Buzzwang interrupted. "For the past week, Ranger  
Gooseman, Ranger Hartford and myself have been on Earth, several light  
years from here. There is no way you could have met with him within that  
time."  
  
The girl's mouth fell open. "But..." she looked up at Goose, and  
the look of confusion on his face finally registered with her. She put a  
hand to her mouth. "You really don't know me, do you?"  
  
The Lycan, meanwhile, was looking the Goose over, as well. Buzzwang  
glanced down at the wolf, then back at his fellow Ranger. "Max was able  
to sense that you were not the Ranger Gooseman he met before," Buzzwang  
continued. "He must have concluded that you were an impostor. But since  
you have been with us all this time, I consider it more likely that the  
Ranger Gooseman that the girls met is the impostor. Since his appearance  
coincided with the disappearance of Eve Wheiner, we must conclude that  
he took on your form to kidnap her."  
  
"EVE!" The girl's eyes got huge, as she stared at the android,  
holding both hands up to her mouth. "Oh, my God..."  
  
"Well, that explains that," Doc said. "Don't worry, miss. We're  
here to get Eve back. I assume you know her..."  
  
She nodded. "I'm Eve's roommate... My name's Deborah. And this is  
Annie and Julie." She indicated the two girls. "And Max you already  
know..."  
  
The dog sat down in front of Gooseman. He looked up at him,  
uttering a short "wuf", clearly satisfied. Goose scowled at the dog,  
then turned to Buzzwang.  
  
"Check with the spaceport, see if there have been any mysterious  
takeoffs or landings within the last three days. And see if Eve Wheiner  
is listed as a passenger on any ship leaving this sector."  
  
"Right away!" Buzzwang's communicator unfolded from his wrist, and  
he began to chatter with a spaceport official on the other side of the  
line.  
  
Shane looked back at Debbie. "How long ago did Eve leave with this  
impostor?"  
  
"Right after he arrived," she answered. "He said something about  
her father wanting her to come home. Which I thought was fishy... I  
mean, he SENT her out here, didn't he?"  
  
"It was obviously a trap for her," Doc said. "Eve was supposed to  
have stolen an important disk from her father's safe. The disk was  
stolen yesterday."  
  
"There must be some mistake!" Debbie protested. "Eve would NEVER  
steal anything!" Her friends both nodded, agreeing.  
  
"I have the information you wanted, Ranger Gooseman," Buzzwang cut  
in. "There is a flight plan registered for an Eve Wheiner from Prairie  
to Earth, three days ago. No passengers were reported, only Eve herself.  
According to the records, she returned to Prairie two hours ago, landing  
at Runway Alpha."  
  
"If this guy could impersonate you," the girl named Julie said,  
"maybe he could impersonate Eve, too..."  
  
"Is the ship still there?"  
  
"Yes." Buzzwang paused. "But it's not registered to Eve OR her  
father. The ship is registered to YOU... Shane Gooseman."  
  
Debbie whistled. "This guy has a lot of gall."  
  
Shane nodded. "This impostor... he looked just like me?"  
  
"Yeah..." The young girl wrapped her arms around herself. "Eve  
recognized him... well, you... right away. And he even... well, he even  
had Series 5 implant powers." She looked up at Goose. "Your powers."  
  
"There's only one person in the Galaxy who has the same powers as  
you, my Gooseman," Doc said.  
  
Shane's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he growled the name. "Ryker  
Kilbane..."  
  
  



	3. Gunfight

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
"I guess this means we won't be back in time for lunch..." Doc  
quipped.  
  
"What's Ryker Kilbane doin' hanging around with the Black Hole  
Gang?" Gooseman growled in response.  
  
The Galaxy Rangers were ducked down behind a stack of barrels,  
staring across at the hangar, and the Ranger Interceptor tucked away  
inside it. From this distance, it was clear that it was not really a  
BETA spacecraft, but simply modified, and painted to look like one. At  
a distance, however, or as seen by Earth's sensor net, it would  
probably seem to be the real thing.  
  
Two of the Black Hole Gang's thugs were sitting around it, one of  
them the large fellow in the red mask, the other the little dog-like  
guy. Both were carrying laser rifles. Goose checked the clips on his  
blasters.  
  
"We've caught 'em by suprise!" Zozo said excitedly. "Shall I take  
the little one?"  
  
"I'd like to get to that ship and see what the 'Doctor' can find  
out," Doc added.  
  
"That's fine with me," Goose said. "Leaves more for the rest of  
us."  
  
"I've got a better idea." Buzzwang says. "I can get onboard the  
ship as well as Doc, and that would leave him free to fight."  
  
Before either of them could move, however, the door in the alley  
behind them suddenly swung open, and a tall, lanky alien with green  
hair stepped out. "GALAXY RANGERS!" He yelled, drawing his blaster.  
  
"Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa!" Zozo called out, dancing around as the  
blaster fire stuck the concrete in from of his feet. Goose pulled out  
his own blasters, driving the alien back towards the door, but the  
Black Hole Gang had been alerted. Laser fire began to lance out at them  
from the hangar.  
  
"We are caught in a crossfire, my Gooseman," said Doc.  
  
"Yeah... NOW it's startin' to get interestin'..."  
  
There was a blaze of light from Gooseman's badge, the familiar  
melodic hum of his implant powering up, and Goose's body began to glow  
with light. Not a moment too soon, either, as the alien outlaw drew a  
bead on him and opened fire. Goose ran right through the barrage of  
laser fire, his glow intensifying, as he charged at his foe.  
  
As the glow died down, Gooseman's body had transformed into  
crystal. The laser beams bounced off of him, uselessly, as he reached  
the alien and grabbed his gun, throwing it aside. The two then locked  
hands, a crystal man and a green haired alien, each struggling to throw  
the other down.  
  
Zozo, meanwhile, charged in the other direction, as the dog man  
was coming at them from the cover of the hangar. Doc laid down a  
pattern of cover fire as Zozo ran out into the street to face their  
attacker.  
  
The dog-man swung his rifle, but Zozo leaped over the arc. As the  
little Kiwi came back down, he grabbed the rifle, wrenching it out of  
the dog man's grasp. It landed on the pavement, and Zozo leaped over to  
grab it.  
  
"Ha! NOW I got you!" Zozo glanced down at the rifle. "How does  
this thing work..."  
  
The rifle went off, spraying the dog-man with laser fire. He began  
to dance around as Zozo had, grunting, "Yah yah yah yah yah!"  
  
"Help!" Zozo yelled, trying to find the control to turn off the  
automatic fire. The dog-man was running around in circles, now. "How do  
I STOP this thing!" He threw the rifle down on the ground, and began  
jumping up and down on it, breaking it into pieces.  
  
"You broke my rifle!" The dog-man yelled, charging at him.  
"Yaaaaaahhhhh!"  
  
Zozo took off running back towards the alley, but as he reached  
the wall, he suddenly kicked off of it, leaping upward and back over  
his opponent's head. At the same moment, Buzzwang shoved a handtruck  
into the alien's path. The dog-man tripped over the dolly, and slammed   
headfirst into the wall, knocking himself out.  
  
Zozo slapped his hands together, dusting them off. "No problem."  
  
Doc cried out as the man in the red mask opened fire again, and  
the laser blast cut into his shoulder. He dropped back behind the  
barrel, pulling out his own pistol, as Zozo and Buzz joined him. "No  
problem," Doc echoed, wincing as he put a hand to his shoulder.  
  
"This situation does not look good," Buzzwang commented. "The  
third gang member was using his radio a few moments ago. We must assume  
that reinforcements are on the way."  
  
Two hovercraft roared around the corner up the street. One slid to  
a stop in front of them, while the other stopped closer to the hangar,  
blocking their path to the Interceptor. The alleyway became filled with  
laser blasts.  
  
"Thanks, Buzzwang," Doc snapped.  
  
He glanced back at Goose, still struggling with the green haired  
alien. "My Gooseman, we are in SERIOUS trouble here..."  
  
He was interupted as another hovercar roared into view. It  
accelerated, heading straight for one of the cars, and struck it  
forcefully, shoving it into the wall of another hangar. The Black Hole  
Gang members struggled to regain control of the careening vehicle,  
several of them flying out and landing prone in the street.  
  
Daisy O'Mega stood up in the seat of her hovercar. "Get in!" She  
stared at the dumbstruck Rangers for a moment. "Come on, boys! Don't  
just stand there with yer jaws flappin' in the wind!"  
  
"The cavalry has arrived!" Doc yelled, leaping out into the street  
and into the back seat of the hovercraft. Buzzwang quickly joined him,  
but Zozo glanced back at Gooseman, still pummeling the green haired  
alien.  
  
"Can we trust her?" He asked.  
  
"No..." Daisy answered, her Irish brogue getting thicker in her  
exasperation, "An' I don't trust you Rangers, either. But I'd rather  
pull yer arses outta this mess than leave ya to Macross. NOW GET  
IN!!!!!"  
  
"I believe we should accept Miss O'Mega's offer," Buzzwang said,  
in his mechanical voice. "I believe the Black Hole Gang have recovered  
from their initial shock."  
  
Daisy dropped down in her seat as the gang opened fire, filling  
the street with a blaze of colored light. Doc whipped around in his  
seat, returning fire with his own blaster, and Daisy quickly followed  
suit. "Get in, boys," she warned, "or I'm leavin' ya here..."  
  
Zozo quickly jumped into the back seat, Goose taking only a few  
more moments to slug his opponent across the chin. He then ran out of  
the alley, his body flashing with light as returned to his normal form.  
"GO!" He yelled, as he scrambled into the passenger seat, next to  
Daisy.  
  
"Hang on!" Daisy countered. She gunned the engine, and the  
hovercar made a full one eighty degree spin, almost throwing Zozo out  
into the street. She slammed into the gang's hovercar again as she  
passed it, sending it spinning out of control, as she shot back the way  
she came.  
  
Patch, Macross's second, yelled for his men to sit down, as he  
gunned the engine of his hovercraft. Before he could move, however,  
another hovercraft, piloted by the man in the mask, shot out of the  
hangar in front of him. Patch followed, and the last hovercraft brought  
up the rear, several of the gang members still trying to climb into it  
as it passed.  
  
Daisy looked back at their pursuers. A hail of laser fire began to  
shoot past them, and she floored it. "I knew I shouldn't have come back  
for you guys..."  
  
"Pardon me, Miss O'Mega," Buzzwang began, "but where exactly are  
we going?"  
  
"Well, I thought I'd take the Scenic route through Prairie, then  
we'd go out to dinner, then Shane and I will go and dance the New Texas  
two-step at the club..."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING HERE...! I'm tryin' ta ditch these  
low grade morons so we can get back to the Starport and go after  
Macross!!!"  
  
"It's good to see you on our side, for once," Goose told her, as  
he turned back in his seat, leveling his blasters at the car behind  
them.  
  
"I'm on nobody's side but me own, Shane Gooseman," she said, then  
cut him a sly glance. "Although I could be persuaded..." She returned  
her attention to the road, cutting around a corner and into the traffic  
of Prairie's city streets.  
  
  



	4. Car Chase

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
"Don't nobody say nuthin' about women drivers," Daisy commented,  
as she swerved around the traffic, even as the other cars scurried to  
get out of their way.  
  
"Well, at least she's not as bad as you, my Gooseman," Doc  
quipped. "After being a passenger in something you're driving, I  
suppose I can survive anything..." He added his own fire to Goose's,  
and Patch's windshield cracked. The white haired fellow dropped back,  
the other two hovercraft moving up to take his place.  
  
A stray laser blast grazed Daisy's door, however, and the car was  
knocked sideways. The melted chuck of composite bounced off the roadway  
and into a nearby shop, shattering the storefront window. As the  
traffic coming in the other direction swerved to avoid the debris, the  
cars ahead of them were forced to stop, blocking the lane ahead.  
  
Daisy made a hard right turn, throwing her passengers around in  
their seats, as she whipped around into a side alley. The car careened  
off the brick wall, then roared off down the alleyway, their pursuers  
still right behind.  
  
"I take it back!" Doc exclaimed. "You ARE as bad as Goose!"  
  
They shot out of the alley under an awning, and Goose took out its  
supports with a couple of well placed shots. The fabric fluttered down  
over the car that was right behind them, blinding the driver. Daisy  
made a right turn into the traffic, nearly flipping the car up onto its  
side. The Black Hole Gang's car, on the other hand, sailed straight on  
across the street, slamming into the wall of a building, and exploding  
in a ball of flame.  
  
"Good shot," Daisy commented.  
  
"Good driving," Goose answered.  
  
Daisy grinned at him. "Thanks."  
  
"DON'T WATCH ME! WATCH THE ROAD!"  
  
Daisy's attention snapped back to the street as an enourmous hover  
tanker headed right at them. "Hang on," was all she said.  
  
The hovercar was still coming down from its sideways turn into the  
street, and she jerked the wheel hard to the left, causing the car to  
flip up onto its other side. They shot through the gap between the  
tanker and the wall with only inches to spare. The car behind them,  
trying the same manuever, got pinned by the tanker and was crushed  
against the wall.  
  
The final car, the one with the cracked windshield, skidded to a  
stop at the end of the alley. The huge tanker continued past them, its  
horn blasting. By the time the way was clear for them to continue,  
Daisy and her new allies were gone. Patch stood up, looking around, but  
the Galaxy Rangers had made their escape.  
  
"Am I the only one who's afraid for his life, here?" Doc asked, as  
Daisy cut another wild corner, putting as much distance as she could  
between herself and the Black Hole Gang. "Where's Zozo?"  
  
A small, furry blue hand stuck itself out from under the car seat.  
"Under here."  
  
Doc paused a moment. "If there was more room, I'd say move  
over..."  
  
"All right, Rangers, listen up!" Daisy glanced back over her  
shoulder, beginning to slow down as she assured herself that she wasn't  
being followed. "I've got some inf'mation fer ye, but I'll be askin'  
fer a pardon in exchange fer it..."  
  
Gooseman looked a bit pained as he considered his options. From  
the back seat, Doc grinned. "I think she's got us right where she wants  
us..."  
  
Goose sighed. "Okay... I'll see that you get that pardon." He  
raised a hand to cut her short. "On the condition that we get the girl  
and the disk back."  
  
"Ah... ye know about that, then... I figgered that was why ye was  
here..."  
  
She looked at Goose. "That rat Macross met with yer friend Ryker  
Kilbane earlier this week. They've got some kinda plan, and they're  
turnin' the Black Hole Gang upside down 'cause o' it. They'll be takin'  
the girl AN' the disk back ta Entropy's edge, just as soon as they can  
get off this rock."  
  
"We figured that much," Doc said. "What makes you think that info  
is worth a pardon?"  
  
Daisy glanced back at him. "Ye din' know what's on the disk,  
then?"  
  
Doc's grin faded. "No, we don't. It didn't sound like it was  
anything important..."  
  
"Nuthin' important... that ain't how I heard it. Ryker seems ta  
think that whatever's on that disk will spell the end of ya... of all  
of the Galaxy Rangers!"  
  
Doc and Goose looked at each other. "I guess you'd call that a  
'need to know,'" Doc muttered.  
  
"Even so... our first priority is to get the girl back."  
  
"Now, how did I knew ye were ginna say tha'?" Daisy turned a  
corner. "Well, if we're lucky, Macross hasn't taken off yet. Ye can  
rescue the girl 'afore she even gets off Prairie..."  
  
Unfortunately, by the time they pulled up to Macross's hangar, it  
was long empty. "Dang," Daisy muttered. "They give us the slip." She  
dropped back down in her seat, and the hovercar rocketed off in another  
direction.  
  
She stopped in front of another hangar, and hopped out. The  
Rangers joined her as she slid open the doors, to reveal a small  
spaceship, an attractive orange-gold in color. It was a bit large for  
an Interceptor, but much smaller than Ranger Two.   
  
"This outta get us ta Entropy's Edge. I've got a lad in the gang   
that can help us out. From there on out, it's up to ye Rangers... and   
a bit o' luck..."  
  
"And where did you get this?" Goose asked.  
  
"I won it fair and square, Galaxy Ranger." Daisy countered. She  
typed a code into the access panel, and the canopy opened. The ramp  
extended down to them, and Doc, curious as usual, made his way inside.  
  
"She's a pretty little thing, an' got a few suprises o' her own.  
Not as nice as me own battlecruiser..." She grinned at Gooseman. "But  
she'll do."  
  
"All the same... I think we'll take Ranger Two."  
  
"Ye'll never get past the Black Hole Gang's sensors in that  
thing," Daisy countered, laughing. "The whole rock'll know you're there  
before you come within a hundred light years..."  
  
Daisy put a hand on her ship's landing strut. "This baby is the  
only thing that's gonna get you onta Entropy's Edge in one piece," she  
said.  
  
Doc poked his head out of the canopy. "No kidding! Daisy, are you  
aware that you've got a Blue Fire generator up here???"  
  
"Is that wha' it's called?" Daisy says, looking up at him. "It  
wasn't even workin' when I got it. The idiot who had it before me  
apparently didn't even know what it was."  
  
Doc stared at her for a moment. "You mean, you're the one that  
wired it this way?"  
  
"Yeah, what of it?"  
  
"Daisy... a Blue Fire generator is designed to disable tractor  
beams. But the way you've got it wired... well, Daisy, you've figured  
out how to make it jam SENSORS, as well!"  
  
"I thought tha' was what it was supposed ta do..."  
  
"My Gooseman," Doc said with a grin. "I think the odds just turned  
in our favor."  
  
  



	5. Entropy's Edge

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
The Rangers piled into Daisy's interceptor and headed for Entropy's   
Edge. It was a tight fit, but the ship wasn't built for luxury, and  
Zozo was small enough that he was able to get relatively comfortable  
between the two rear seats.  
  
Doc, of course, took the computer console. He pulled out his CDU  
and triggered his badge. There was a musical sound as the power of his  
implant flowed through him, and the I/O port of the CDU opened. The  
bright, flashing diamond shape of Doc's power flickered into view.  
  
A tiny, yellow ball of fire zipped out of the gate. "Firefly," Doc  
commanded. "Get in there and see if you can get the Tractor Dispersion  
Field working, as well as the Sensor Scrambler. We might need it on  
this mission."  
  
"Righty-O, Doc!" The little tweaker flew into the computer  
panel, and lights began to flash on it. Within moments, a nimbus of  
blue flame encircled the ship.  
  
Firefly zipped back out of the panel. "You can only have one of   
the two activated at a time, Doc." it said, "But I've set it so you can   
switch between Sensor and Tractor Beam Jamming, using the controls."  
  
Daisy checked her readouts. "Well done, Ranger," she said.   
  
She pulled back on the thrust lever, and the interceptor's engines  
fired. It shot forward, as a brilliant ball of blue-white light formed  
ahead of them. It spread out into a star-shape as the ship shot into  
Hyperspace, and then a ring of brilliance spread away from where the  
ship had been.  
  
Thousands of light years away, in an asteroid belt orbiting a  
black hole, the ring of light appeared again. Daisy's interceptor  
shot into view, coasting to a stop as the inertia of Hyperspace  
wore of. Behind it, the star shape dwindled back into the ball of  
light, and then vanished. This time, however, the light was reddish.  
  
"Welcome to Entropy's Edge, boys," Daisy said, as the interceptor  
coasted towards the largest of the asteroids.   
  
Doc shot Daisy a sidelong glance, smiling. "Now *that's* what I  
call a welcome! No bad guys welcoming us themselves with their blasters  
pointed at us. Yet."  
  
Daisy parked on a nearby asteroid, close enough to be inside the  
Black Hole Gang's sensor field, but far enough away that it wouldn't be  
spotted visually. The gang then changed into their familiar red and  
white space suits, except for Buzzwang, of course, who just put on a  
jetpack. Daisy slipped into the golden suit that came with her  
interceptor.  
  
They rocketed over to the station and landed near one of the  
maintenance ports. "I've got this 'un, Ranger," Daisy told Doc.  
She typed a code into the access panel, and the port opened.  
  
The Rangers slipped through the airlock. Daisy trigged the  
control, and the portal dialated shut. "All right, boys, we're  
inside," Daisy said, taking off her helmet. "Where to no'?"  
  
"Where would the girl be held?" Goose asked.  
  
"In the prisons, most likely. I know a way." She stepped up to  
another panel next to the wall, and opened an accessway into a small  
tunnel. "This is a maintenance shaft. We should be able to sneak past  
the internal sensors through here."  
  
The maintenance shaft led to a narrow power conduit, and from  
there to a series of ventilation shafts. Daisy led them through the  
maze of passages. She seemed confident in her sense of direction, and  
also knew when they were getting near inhabited areas. She motioned  
the Rangers to silence as they approached one area, where there was  
some obvious activity going on.  
  
The Rangers paused above a large work area, looking out from  
behind a vent high up on the wall. Machinery was moving around in the  
room, members of the gang working frantically. They were producing  
electronic devices of some kind, turning them out by the dozens.  
  
"My spy told me about they'd been put to work on something  
mysterious," Daisy said quietly. "I wonder wha' it is they're all   
workin' on?"  
  
"Must be related to that missing disk... well, maybe..." Doc   
shrugged. "Goose, you want 'dibs' on the girl? Maybe I can get my   
tweakers to uncover something important about those devices."  
  
"All right," Gooseman agreed, "but watch out for alarms..."  
  
"'Watch out for alarms,'" Doc echoed, as if taken aback. "My   
Gooseman, you're talking to the Doctor, remember?"  
  
"Just be careful," Goose cut in warningly. "I'll leave Buzzwang   
with you. The two of you see if you can figure out what they're up.   
If worse comes to worse, we may have to blow this rock to stop them."  
  
Doc raised an eyebrow. "Glad you're on my side..."  
  
Goose looked at Daisy. "You and Zozo are with me. If we're gonna  
get the girl back, we'll probably have to fight our way through."  
  
"I'd rather give Macross a piece o' my mind..." Daisy commented.  
"An' find out abou' that disk..."  
  
"You and me both," Doc muttered.  
  
"We don't know where Macross is, OR the disk, so let's concentrate   
on what we DO know."  
  
"Right," Doc agreed. "You guys go on. If we can locate Macross or   
the disk, we'll try and stall him until you guys can catch up with us.   
Right now, getting Eve back is our first priority."  
  
Goose continued crawling down the narrow passage, with Daisy   
and the little Kiwi right behind him. Doc watched them for a moment,   
then setted in front of the grille that overlooked the big room below.  
He stared at the gang members moving around in the room for a second   
or two, then pulled out his CDU.  
  
A familiar hum filled the air as Doc triggered his badge. With a  
series of musical tones, the glowing portal to Cyberspace opened, a  
jumble of colored lines and numbers flashing within it. "Pathfinder!  
Get in there and find out what they're building. And be careful you  
aren't seen!"  
  
"They'll never know I'm here, Doc!" The little blue sphere said  
in its high pitched voice, as it zipped out of the gateway. It dropped  
through the grille, and down out of sight, behind some boxes.  
  
The tiny mote of light darted across the room, from box to table  
and back again, working its way across the room. A gang worker turned  
to examine something, and Pathfinder swooped around behind him,  
slipping into his machine. It popped out the other side, and then  
passed through a few more machines, as it make its way to a bank of  
computers.  
  
After a few moments in the computers, Pathfinder shot back out,  
and disappeared into the wall. A few seconds later, it appeared from the  
aluminum of the air duct, and returned to Doc.  
  
"I'm not sure what they're working on, Doc," Pathfinder said.  
"They're building some kind of transmitters. From the looks of it,  
they're old-style radio transmitters, with a range of maybe a few  
miles. They're programmed to echo any signal that they receive."  
  
"There's hundreds of them..." Doc said, looking down through   
the grate at the objects coming off the assembly line below. "Enough   
to blanket an area of several thousand miles with a radio signal..."  
  
"Doc..." Buzzwang said. He seemed to be attempting to make his  
comments sound offhand. "Would it be possible for Pathfinder to  
retrieve some information, and then give it to me, instead of you? I  
could, for instance, analyze the information, and then erase it from  
my memory... if need be..."  
  
The hacker looked at his android companion, a wry grin on his  
face. "Still thinkin' about Walsh's order not to look at the disk,  
eh?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Look, Buzz, my momma didn't raise this Ranger to be no fool.  
If Macross an' Kilbane BOTH think there's something on that disk that   
could kill me, well, orders or no orders, I'm gonna look at it." He   
grinned.  
  
"I see..."  
  
Doc's expression turns serious. "What is it, Buzz? You think you  
know what's on that disk?"  
  
The android paused a moment. "I'm... not sure. If I could just  
get a look at one of the devices. If it is a transmitter, perhaps it  
would be a good idea if I tried to find out what the frequency it  
transmits is, so that we might be able to build a jamming device..."  
  
Pathfinder glimmered in the darkness of the vent shaft, as he  
darted back and forth for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Ranger Buzzwang,"   
it said, "but there was no indication of what the signal was to be, or  
what frequency it would be on. Those are amplifiers, designed to echo  
the signal, not broadcast it."  
  
"That makes sense," Doc said. "Kilbane didn't even have the disk  
until a few days ago. These guys had to have been working on these  
devices for weeks. So, they couldn't have known what the signal was  
supposed to be when they designed them."  
  
"But!" Pathfinder interrupted. "There is something else. The  
devices have also been programmed with a secondary system, to detect  
the hyperspace signature of a Ranger spacecraft. When the signature is  
detected, another signal is sent, on standard subspace frequencies.  
Maybe we could jam THAT!"  
  
Doc nodded. "We need more information. Buzzwang, let's see if we  
can find an empty room and get OUT of this ventilator. If I stay in  
here one more minute, I'm gonna turn into a pretzel!"  
  
  
  
  



	6. Best Laid Plans...

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb" Chapter 6 Goose, Daisy and Zozo looked out of the ventilator duct into the prison area. From their vantage point high in the wall, they could see a single guard, asleep in a chair in the guard room. It was the dog man again, napping right next to the controls for the prison cells. Gooseman left his two companions behind for a moment to check the other air ducts. "He's sound asleep," Daisy said as Goose returned, gesturing at the guard in his chair below them. "In all th' time ye been gone, he ain't moved a bit. Shall we catch th' little fleabag by suprise?" "He may still hear us and wake up," Goose countered. "There's an open cell up ahead that you can get into through the vent shaft. You two slip in that way, and I'll wait here by this vent. If you wake him up, he'll be distracted, and I can drop in on him from behind. If you don't wake him, you can take him out, and then let ME in." "Good enoo'," Daisy said with a smile. "All right... it's you an' me, then, furry face." She gestured for Zozo to follow, and crawled further down the shaft. A few minutes later, Goose heard the quiet sound of boots hitting metal. Daisy was being careful, but the guard still sat up. As Goose had suspected, he hadn't been asleep at all. Grabbing his rifle, the gang member cautiously approached the hallway leading to the cells. Gooseman waited just long enough for the guard to get around the corner, then kicked in the grate. It hit the floor with a clang, and the dog man came running back into the room. Goose met him with his fist, knocking the little alien reeling. He stepped backward, trying to get away, but Daisy came up behind him, and knocked the thug out with the butt end of her blaster. Goose quickly checked the door. "Looks like we got in without alerting the others," he said. "See if you can find the girl." "Right," Zozo said, and turned back into the hallway. Less than a second passed before he called out, quietly, "She's in cell 15. You'll have to switch off the force field from out there, Ranger Gooseman." "Okay... I got it." Goose flipped a switch on the control panel the guard had been sitting next to. There was the sound of a force field powering down, and then Zozo ran back into the room, with a young girl, with black spiky hair, right behind him. Eve immediately ran to Goose, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Shane... Ranger Gooseman... thank God it's really you! I was so scared..." "It's all right now," Goose said, awkwardly trying to soothe the girl's nerves. "We have to get you back to Earth," Zozo said. "Your father is worried about you." "But we'll have to get through the Black Hole Gang to do it," Goose said. He pushed Eve away, looking at her sternly. "You're going to have to do exactly as I say, and stick close to us. This isn't some Rock Video, this is the real thing..." Eve nodded. She was trembling, and had a bruise on her forehead, as if Macross's men had roughed her up. Other than that, fortunately, she seemed to be all right. "I know, Ranger Gooseman. I'll stay out of trouble. And I'll stay out of trouble from now on." Goose frowned, sure that THAT promise will be soon forgotten. At least she seemed to be too frightened to strike out on her own. "Okay. We're going back out the way we came in... through the ventilation system. I'll take the lead, and Eve, I want you to stay right behind me, and be as quiet as you can. Okay?" As Gooseman picked up the fallen vent from the floor, however, the door to the corridor outside slid open. Daisy picked off two of the gang members immediately, her blasters in her hands so fast Goose didn't even see her draw them. But more Black Hole Gang men came up behind them, and multicolored laser fire began to fill the small room. There was nowhere to go but back into the cellblock. Goose held the steel vent cover up like a shield, as he rushed the door. "Get Eve out of here!" he yelled at Daisy. "I'll hold them off!" Before Daisy or Eve could move, however, the laser fire suddenly cut off. Goose was thrown backwards as the gang members forced their way through the door, their sheer numbers too much to hold back. A deep, gravelly voice cut through the sudden silence. "Oh, no you won't, Ranger boy... Not unless you want to see your robot friend here on my desk as a paperweight..." Macross stepped into the room, holding Buzzwang firmly, with an arm around his neck. The android struggled, but his hands were cuffed, and Macross was holding a gun to his head. Macross grinned evilly at Gooseman, his beady red eyes glittering in triumph. His men, coming up behind him, leveled their laser rifles at Goose, Zozo, Daisy -- and Eve. "Drop your weapons, Ranger boy... or not one of your friends will be leavin' this room alive." Goose glared at the outlaw leader for a long moment. "Ok, Macross," he finally said, dropping his blaster. "but whatever scheme you've got going here, you'll not get away with it." "Oh, but I HAVE gotten away with it... or to be precise, your buddy Killbane's gotten away with it. The disk, I mean. And your friend Hartford, too. He's got a NASTY suprise in store for him..." Macross chuckled, a low guttural sound. "You should consider yourself LUCKY that Kilbane an' I decided to deal with you ourselves. Now you be a good little Ranger, and file back inta the cell block..." Goose scowled as he stepped back into the corridor between the cells. Macross kept his blaster trained on Buzz's head, nodding to Zozo and Daisy, as well. "Move it, you two. Follow the Ranger boy." The Ranger and his two allies reluctantly backed into the cell. Macross nodded to his men as soon as they were safely inside, and then shoved Buzzwang forcefully into Gooseman. As the Supertrooper tried to duck around the android, and head for Macross, an arc of energy danced across the front of the cell. Gooseman slammed into the force field, and was thrown back. Macross chuckled again, as the energy field again settled to its normal, transparent form. Then he smirked at Daisy. "Too bad you chose the wrong side. Did you think I didn't know about your 'boy on the inside'?" He laughed. "Too bad. We could have been something." Daisy said nothing, just looked away from him, crossing her arms. "I'll be back for you, Ranger boy, just as soon as I check in with Kilbane." Macross left the cell room, leaving a couple of guards behind to watch his prisoners. Gooseman watched the two guards for a few moments. As they sat down at the table in the guard room, and started to play cards, he turned to Buzzwang. "What happened?" "They ambushed us, Ranger Gooseman," Buzz answered. "Ranger Hartford and I were climbing down out of the vent shaft, to try and get into one of their computers, when they burst in the door and grabbed us. I think that, as Macross said, Daisy's agent told him we were coming. He must have been tracking us the whole time." "I knew it was too easy," Daisy growled. "Don't worry about it, Daisy, you couldn't have known..." He turned back to Buzz. "Where did they take Doc?" "Ranger Hartford and I were separated right from the beginning. Macross wouldn't admit it, but I believe that the disk contains some kind of information about the Rangers. They may have wanted Doc as a test subject..." "This doesn't sound good..." Gooseman says with a frown. "That disk is starting to sound less and less like a minor inconvenience, and more and more like something that threatens us, personally." "That's my conclusion, as well." Gooseman glanced at the force field. "Well, now we have to get out of here. Anybody got any suggestions?" "Well, I could be disassembled," Buzzwang said, "and..." Daisy put a hand against the blue indicator light that served as Buzzwang's mouth. "Shh!" She hissed, rather forcefully. She gestured up at a spot on the ceiling. There was a tiny, black, square object tucked up into the corner. There was a moment a moment of dead silence, and then Buzzwang spoke, quietly. "I've run a scan of radio frequencies in the room. There is another, hidden behind that small vent." Daisy nodded. "Added after I left the gang, no doubt..." She spoke louder. "Nice goin', Macross! You always were an cautious son of a bitch..." She stepped up onto the cot in that corner of the cell and pulled down the bug, then stomped on it with her boot. Buzzwang retrieved the other from the vent, and crushed it, as well. "He'll not bother ta replace the bugs, since he knows I'll be watchin' fer 'em. Still, keep yer voices doo'n. There's bugs in the next cell, too." Daisy gave Goose a provocative smile. "Nuthin' like a woman's touch, eh, Shane? Now, wha' do ye have in mind?" 


	7. Escape

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 7  
  
  
Gooseman stared at the jumble of wires and oddly shaped metal  
components. Studying it for a moment, he finally picked out two wires,  
and started to twist them together with a couple of wires from another  
component.  
  
"That won't work at all, Ranger Gooseman," Buzzwang told him.  
"You have the polarity reversed." He gestured with his left hand,  
indicating the proper two wires.  
  
The android was sitting on the floor next to the makeshift  
contraption, his right arm limp at his side, and a panel on his chest  
open. The radio that had been embedded in his wrist now rested on top  
of the pile of electrical parts, a couple of cables running from it to  
a panel on the wall, where Goose had hooked it into a small box next  
to the power lines that ran to the lights in the cell.  
  
"I'm not sure I want to risk this, Buzzwang. If I have this wired  
up wrong, we could damage your components. I'm not sure I want to take  
you apart if I can't be sure I can put you back together again."  
  
"We can't generate enough power to counteract the frequency of  
the force field without one of the power supplies from my body. I will  
have to be shut down for you to remove it. But, I have confidence in  
you, Ranger Gooseman. I was able to guide you this far, and you will  
be able to take it from here on your own."  
  
Gooseman stared at him for a moment, then nodded. He looked up at  
Daisy. "Anything?"  
  
"The guards are busy with their card game," Daisy stated,  
watching them from her position next to the force field. "I don't  
think they care what we're doo'n."  
  
She chuckled. "It's a good thin' I'm no' in charge any more. I'd   
skin 'em alive fer being tha' careless. Especially since Dog-face has   
already goofed up twice today."  
  
"Right now, I'm glad Macross isn't as strict a leader," Goose  
said. "Okay, Buzz, I think I've got it. Go ahead and shut down."  
  
Buzzwang settled into a comfortable position, and then slumped  
over. Goose opened up another panel on his back, then reached in and  
pulled a large, square box out of the android. He hooked a couple of  
cables from his device up to terminals on top of it. There was a low   
hum as the contraption powered up, but nothing else happened.  
  
"There's not enough power..." Goose muttered, frowning. He made  
an adjustment to a few of the connections, but the force field still  
remained unchanged. As he stared at the device, a commotion suddenly  
began outside the cell. Something crashed to the floor, and loud  
shouting began from the guard room.  
  
"We've got trouble!" Daisy hissed. "One o' the boys jus' caught  
the other cheatin'!"  
  
Goose turned to look, and as the little dog man ducked a thrown  
chair, he suddenly spotted Daisy watching them. At that moment, there  
was a crackle of energy from the device, and the force field began to  
flicker. Goose tried to shut it down, but it was too late. Both guards  
were charging down the hall towards them, and although bright flashes  
of light began to play across the surface of the force field, it was  
still solid.  
  
"Aw, HELL!" Goose growled. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed the  
two power cables from the wall and pulled them loose, ignoring the  
sparks. He then jammed the cables against the terminals on the power  
supply. The force field flickered and faded out, while the makeshift  
device spit out a shower of sparks. All of the lights in the cell  
block went out, and Daisy and Zozo leaped into the hallway.  
  
As the first of the guards reached him, Zozo grabbed him by the  
shirt, flipping onto his back as he threw the lumbering gang member  
into the cell. He slammed into Gooseman, who was thrown back into the  
open panel, and both men were caught in a discharge of electrical  
energy. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Goose threw himself away  
from the panel, dragging the gang member with him.  
  
Daisy, meanwhile, reached down to her belt, and with a snapping  
action, freed a long, slender line that was hidden in it. Swinging it   
around her head like a lariat, and she threw it at the dog-like gang   
member, snagging his rifle. The whip line immediately retracted back   
into Daisy's belt, pulling the weapon right to her hand.   
  
Daisy opened fire on the little alien, grazing his leg as he  
turned to head back for the guard room. He stumbled, but kept going,  
obviously to sound the alarm. Just before he reached the door,  
however, a second laser blast caught him, and he hit the floor.  
  
Gooseman lowered the other guard's rifle. He looked down at the  
fellow, still laying unconscious next to him. "Good shootin'," Daisy  
told him, giving him a thumbs up, but Goose frowned.  
  
"I only hope I didn't do too much damage to Buzzwang. At least  
his device seems to have successfully shut off the alarms, but it  
didn't have enough power to kill the force field. I had to use the raw  
power right from the wall."  
  
Daisy helped as he wired the last of the components back into  
Buzzwang's body. The android sat up, looking around. Noticing that the  
force field was down, he nodded in satisfaction. "It worked."  
  
"Not exactly," Goose countered. "Are you all right?"  
  
Buzzwang looked up at him. He paused a moment, then sort of  
swayed backwards. "A number of my circuits have suffered an overload.  
My balance centers seem to be impaired. I am attempting to  
compensate, but I may need help in order to stand"  
  
The android put out a hand to steady himself, as Gooseman helped  
him to his feet. Eve stepped up to take his hand, and then hooked  
Buzz's arm over her shoulder. "I can help him, Shane," she said.  
  
"A very rational idea, young lady," Buzzwang said.  
  
"All right. Eve, you're with Buzzwang." Gooseman walked to the  
door of the cell and looked out, the guard's rifle at the ready. He  
then looked back at Daisy. "I hope you know another way out of here. I  
kind of doubt Macross will fall for the vent shaft trick twice."  
  
"So do I, Shane, so do I..." Daisy was staring at the fallen dog  
man, thoughtfully. As Zozo came up behind her, she looked down at the  
little blue alien, and smiled. "But I think I have an idea..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Macross scowled at the video screen, from which Ryker Kilbane  
smirked at him. The human could be maddening, at times. "You and I  
both know what that cargo means to our employer. She's paid us well  
for our services, Kilbane. Let's not get greedy."  
  
"Gooseman is mine," Kilbane protested. "I owe that runt, big  
time. And I mean to pay him back. *I* will be the one to kill him,   
do you hear me?"  
  
"And if she finds out we're holding out on her..."  
  
"Do you think I'm afraid of the Queen of the Crown?" Kilbane  
asked, his voice mocking. "I'm a Supertrooper..."  
  
"KILBANE!" Macross interrupted. "Not over an open channel! Not  
even a scrambled one! You know what her orders were!"  
  
Kilbane's sneer increased. "You ARE afraid of her." He laughed.   
  
"And you're a fool." Macross raised an eyebrow. "All of you  
Supertroopers are. So sure that your powers make you invincible...  
even Gooseman. But at least Gooseman isn't stupid enough to  
underestimate the Queen..."  
  
Kilbane laughed again. "Holding the 'Ranger Boy' was your idea,  
too, Macross." He imitated the gang leader's gravelly voice perfectly.  
"That's why you're perfect for this plan. You hate him almost as much  
as I do."  
  
"Just make sure your cargo gets to Tortuna... BOTH of them. Our  
orders were to bring her a Ranger, and we can provide one, AND keep  
Gooseman for ourselves. Just make sure she doesn't find out..."  
  
He was interrupted as a gang member charged into the control  
room. "Macross! The prisoners have escaped!"  
  
"WHAT!" Macross looked panicked for a moment, but then regained  
control. "All of them?"  
  
"All of them, sir!"  
  
He whirled back on the video screen. "How close are you to  
Tortuna?"  
  
Kilbane smirked again. "An hour, maybe less. Is that runt too  
much for you, Macross?"  
  
The tan-skinned alien leaned over the screen, his red eyes  
flashing with anger. "Look, Kilbane, you let me worry about Gooseman  
and you GET THAT DISK TO THE QUEEN! If Gooseman finds out where you're  
going, he'll be after you in a second."  
  
"Good. Let him come."  
  
"Kilbane! If he gets that disk from you before you can get it   
to the Queen, she will have BOTH of us in a Psychocrystal before the  
DAY's out! I want that disk OUT of our hands and into HERS before the  
Rangers can get to it. And that means NOW!!!"  
  
Kilbane chuckled. "I know what I have to do," He said. The screen  
went blank.  
  
Macross turned back to the gang member, who backed away slightly,  
startled by the fury in his leader's eyes. "All right, who let them  
get away?!!!"  
  
"Um... why don't you ask HIM, sir... he WAS on guard..."  
  
The gangster pointed at a figure standing by the panel, a short,  
brown, furry alien in metallic armor. "You!" Macross said, to the dog  
man, who had his back turned. The little alien slowly turned, to look  
at him. But as the little fellow turned around, it turned out that his  
face was blue, not brown, and he had long, pointed ears and big, round  
eyes.  
  
"Gotta run!" Zozo said. Leaping onto the computer panel, he threw  
a switch. Alarms began to blare in the control room.  
  
Daisy threw off the cloak of the other gang member, and opened  
fire with the man's rifle. Zozo darted out of the room, under cover of  
Daisy's laser fire, as the Black Hole Gang dropped to the floor.  
  
"They've unlocked the security overrides on the hangar!" One of   
the men yelled out, as Daisy disappeared down the corridor. "The  
Ranger and the android have captured Daisy's fighter!"  
  
"After them!" Macross pointed down the hall, directing his men  
after the escapees. "After them! The man who brings me Daisy's head  
KEEPS his!"  
  
"Too late, sir. Daisy and the Kiwi are in the hangar."  
  
"Lock all hangar doors!" Macross grabbed at a console as a  
massive explosion rocked the asteroid. "What was THAT!"  
  
"They've blasted out the hangar doors, sir! They're gone!"  
  
Macross slammed his fist down on the console. "And now, thanks   
to Kilbane and his FAT MOUTH, they know that the disk is headed for  
Tortuna!"  
  
He paused only a moment, to let his rage build up. "GET ME  
KILBANE ON THE LINK! NOW!!!!!"  
  
  



	8. Tortuna

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
The Rangers climbed out of Daisy's golden Interceptor, while   
Daisy gazed out over the bleak desert landscape with a pair of   
binoculars. They had landed in an empty canyon, well away from the   
outskirts of Tortuna. It would be a long way to the only major city   
on the outlaw planet, but if it kept them hidden from the eyes of   
the Crown, a long walk would be worth it.  
  
Buzzwang took a few experimental steps, testing his balance. "I  
seem to have regained some mobility, although my balance is still not  
100%. But I believe I will no longer need Eve's assistance."  
  
"Good," Eve put in. "You're one heavy bucket of bolts..." She  
then grinned at the android. "But I'm staying close by just in case."  
  
"That would be for the best," Buzzwang agreed. "I will be better  
able to protect you if we are attacked."  
  
"We've got company," Goose growled.  
  
"You've got good eyes, Shane," Daisy commented, lowering her  
binoculars, as a cloud of dust appeared near the end of the canyon.  
It sped towards them, but the Irish outlaw didn't seem worried.  
"That's just me friend comin'," she said, "don't worry."  
  
Within moments, a small cart had pulled up next to them. A purple  
alien with antennae sat in the driver's seat, while a yellowish fellow  
with big ears and a trunk sat next to him. Gooseman started as he  
recognized the passenger.  
  
"Geezy?"  
  
"I thought it might be you Ranger hummings, when Afgar told me  
hummings were coming to Tortuna. Only Ranger hummings are foolish   
enough to come here."  
  
"I'm no Ranger, an' I come here," Daisy said. "What's this guy  
doin' here, Afgar?"  
  
"I went to him for the stuff you wanted, and he insisted on  
coming along. He's okay, I often go to him for stuff that I can't   
find."  
  
"Your reputation preceeds you, Geezy," Goose said.  
  
"I hope not," Geezy protested, making a trumpeting sound through  
his trunk. "I'm not here, remember?"  
  
Goose chuckled, but the purple alien had climbed off of the  
wagon, and was opening up the back. He tossed some robes and body  
armor to the Rangers. Goose laughed again. "Zanquils?"  
  
"They look a little like humans, so we can pass fer 'em," Daisy  
answered. "Can ye think of anything better, Ranger?"  
  
"Not at all," Goose said, putting on the armor. "It just so  
happens that WE use Zanquil garb, when we come here..."  
  
"I figgered ye might," Daisy said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Zozo, you and Buzz scout out the back," Goose said. They were   
standing in front of a bar near the edge of the spaceport dome. The   
Kiwi nodded, and pulled his hat down over his long ears, vanishing   
into the alley with his two allies. Zozo had grabbed the hat just to   
avoid unwanted attention, but it was his human friends who needed to   
hide under the full costume of Zanquil traders.  
  
As Goose and Daisy made their way into the bar, however, a figure   
in the shadows spotted them, despite their disguises. He slid off of   
his barstool and glanced back at them, and Goose recognized Kilbane's   
sneer under the dark hood he was wearing. The renegade Supertrooper   
took off in a run, headed off down a passageway leading into the back   
rooms of the establishment.   
  
Ryker was grinning wickedly, as Goose burst into the room, Daisy  
right behind him. "You shouldn't have come, runt. Now I've got you  
right where I want you." He was holding a small device in his hand,  
and as Goose came at him, he pressed a button on it.  
  
Goose suddenly cried out in pain, putting his hands to his head,  
as his badge erupted with light. Ryker laughed maniacally, as his old   
enemy staggered backwards. Daisy's blaster was in her hand in a second,   
but Goose was already collapsing to the ground. The sound from Goose's   
badge had become an ear-splitting shriek, and his head was wrapped in   
a nimbus of overloaded power.  
  
Before Daisy could even fire her weapon, though, the device in  
Kilbane's hand suddenly spit out a shower of sparks, and smoke began  
to pour from it. Kilbane shook the device, slapping it against his  
palm, but it was unmistakeably dead. The whine from Goose's badge   
returned to its normal, musical tone, and the soft, yellow light   
played across his face and up to his temples. Breathing hard, Goose   
got back to his feet.  
  
"Damn!" Throwing the device aside, Kilbane leaped at Goose.  
  
"I'm bringin' you in, Kilbane!" Goose snarled, as the Supertrooper   
locked hands with him. The two men struggled for a long moment, while   
Daisy watched, her blaster at the ready. As Goose started to get the   
upper hand, however, Kilbane's hands suddenly changed their texture,   
becoming metallic and ridged. Shane gritted his teeth as electricity   
began to arc between them.  
  
With a loud, enthusiastic yell, Zozo charged into the room. He   
threw himself at Kilbane, knocking him away from Gooseman, and the   
discharge of electricity sent all three of them reeling. The two   
Supertroopers struggled back to their feet, however, and glared at   
each other.  
  
Gooseman put a hand to his badge, but there was only a faint,   
fading sound, as the badge's glow went dead. Goose tried again, but   
his implant was clearly exhausted. Kilbane smirked and took a step   
forwards, but then staggered back, as if he were about to pass out.   
He glanced over at Daisy, sizing her up, as the outlaw leveled her  
blaster at him.  
  
"See ya, runt," Kilbane sneered. He suddenly turned and leaped   
out the window, shattering the glass. The renegade Supertrooper landed   
sprawled out in the alley, a loud snap echoing off the brick walls as   
his leg twisted underneath him. Ryker staggered back to his feet, a   
glare of yellow light playing across his leg as his power healed it.   
  
Swaying slightly, Kilbane looked around. In the doorway to the   
inn, further up the alley, he spotted Buzzwang. The android shoved   
Eve behind him, to protect her, then clenched his fists, as he waited   
for the Supertrooper's attack.  
  
Instead, Kilbane held up a computer disk. He then brought up   
his other hand, showing Buzzwang that electricity still arced across   
it. "Make one move, Galaxy Ranger, and I'll wipe this disk... and   
you'll NEVER find out the secret about your friends' implants!" As   
Buzzwang drew back, cautiously, Kilbane turned to run.  
  
Before Kilbane could take two steps, however, a cloaked figure   
stepped into the alley, blocking his escape. It was a tall, robed   
figure, dressed all in white, its face shrouded in blackness -- a   
Slaverlord.  
  
Half a dozen Crown Agents in their bright red armor came up  
behind their overseer, as Kilbane stared at the Slaverlord. He looked  
uncharacteristically stunned by the unexpected appearance. As he stood,   
his mouth agape, the Queen's beautiful, yet harsh face appeared in  
the robed being's cowl.  
  
"You fool!" The Queen's voice said, imperiously. "I told you not  
to make a copy of the disk, and you disobeyed me! And now, you have as   
much as given its secret away to the Galaxy Rangers! Your bungling has   
put my entire plan at risk! If that disk falls into the hands of the   
Rangers, Ryker Kilbane, I will see you in my Psychocrypt!"  
  
The robed figure pointed at Kilbane. "Guards, take him... and  
destroy that disk!"  
  
Kilbane moved quickly, seizing his one chance to save his skin.   
Throwing the disk high in the air, he darted forward, ducking between   
the Crown Troops as they scrambled to catch the disk. Leaping at the   
Slaverlord, Kilbane reached into its chest, pulling its crystal free,   
and the being shimmered and faded away. Kilbane tossed the crystal in   
another direction as he made his escape, disappearing into the crowds   
that filled the streets of Tortuna.  
  
Buzzwang turned his attention from the fleeing Supertrooper to   
the Crown Agents and the disk. In their hurry to grab it, the soldiers   
had only gotten in each others way, and the disk had bounced out of   
their hands, and into a pile of garbage in the corner. A couple of them   
were digging through the rubbish, though, and it wouldn't be long before   
they found it. Kilbane's words had confirmed the android's suspicions,   
and he knew he had to recover that disk.  
  
Before he could move, however, Eve grabbed his shoulder. "Ranger   
Buzzwang!" she yelled, apparently frightened. Buzz looked up in the   
direction she was pointing, to see Gooseman and Daisy O'Mega plummeting   
towards them, from the window above.  
  
As they fell, however, Daisy triggered a switch on her belt, and   
her boot jets fired. Goose opened fire on the troopers with his free   
hand, his other arm around Daisy, as she slowed their descent. As the   
Ranger and his unorthodox ally landed, firing wildly into the Crown   
Troops, Buzzwang saw his chance.  
  
Sprinting forward to the pile of rubbish, Buzzwang modulated his   
vocal circuits, perfectly mimicing the sound of a Crown Agent's rasping   
electronic voice. "I'll get the disk, Commander," he said, noting that   
the Agent's armor was that of a leader unit. "You should make sure the   
Rangers don't get our Queen's crystal."  
  
As he expected, the Agent didn't even look up at him. "Yes. Good  
thinking, soldier," the commander said, turning to open fire on the  
Rangers. Buzz quickly grabbed the disk, which he'd been careful to  
watch as it flew across the alley, and then ran back the way he came.  
  
He only got a few steps, however, before one of the circuits in   
his leg blew out, pushed beyond its limits by his rerouting of power.   
He staggered a few more steps, then tumbled to the ground. Rolling,   
to keep his momentum going as he fell, the android scrambled the rest   
of the way down the alley on his hands and knees.  
  
"The disk!" The commander had figured out that he'd been tricked.   
"Get that Ranger!" Daisy and Goose dropped behind a bunch of trashcans,   
and provided the android with cover fire, as Eve darted out of the   
shadows of the doorway. The teenager grabbed Buzz by the arms as he   
reached her, and the two of them somehow managed to get back to the   
shelter of the building without being shot.  
  
"Ranger Gooseman!" Buzz called out, as the Crown Agents blasted   
chunks out of the wall beside him. "We seem to be pinned down!"  
  
"Tell me about it!" Gooseman's voice replied. There was a moment   
of silence, broken only by the shrill sound of laser fire, and then   
Zozo called out from the window above them.  
  
"Incoming!" He yelled. There was a short pause, and then a  
massive explosion shook the alley. The laser fire stopped.   
  
"What was that?" Gooseman yelled, somewhat stunned.  
  
"Grenade!" Zozo replied. "Kilbane had about three of them!"  
  
"Three... ?" Gooseman's question was interrupted as another loud   
explosion rocked the alleyway. Suddenly the Crown Troops were gone,   
scattered in all directions.  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then Zozo's voice drifted down  
from above, a bit quieter this time. "Actually, there were only the   
two. But I figure, what they don't know..."  
  
  



	9. Ticking Time Bomb

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
Doc got to his feet, putting a hand to his head. He had the  
grandmother of all headaches, and the sinking feeling that things were   
only going to get worse. Sure enough, as he looked out at the room   
around him, he realized that he was in one of the Queen's prison   
tubes.  
  
"Awake yet, Galaxy Ranger?"  
  
Standing below the tube was the Queen herself. There was no  
mistaking the purple tone of her skin, the harshness of her almost  
beautiful face, the vivid red of her royal robes. She regarded Doc  
with a mocking smile.   
  
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire!" Doc exclaimed, as he   
pressed his hands against the glass.   
  
"I hate to fall back on cliche's, Queenie, but you won't get away   
with this! Your pals Macross and Kilbane betrayed you! Gooseman knows   
where I am, and he'll be here any minute!"  
  
The Queen laughed. "I know about Macross and Kilbane's stupidity.  
It won't help you. If Gooseman comes to rescue you, he'll be caught  
like the rest of your friends, and if he doesn't, he'll be all alone.  
He'll be easy enough for me to track down."  
  
With a sweep of her cape, the Queen of the Crown turned back to a  
console on the other side of the room. Adjusting a few dials, she  
brought up the image of a Ranger craft on the display.  
  
"My Gooseman!" Doc said with a grin. "I told ya!"  
  
The Queen chuckled. "That is not Ranger Two, Hartford. It is  
Ranger One. That is the ship carrying your two other friends, Foxx and  
Niko."  
  
Doc stared at her for a moment, uncharacteristically silent.  
"My agents planted a homing device on their ship, so I would know the  
moment their mission was over, and they had lifted off. I do not want  
their concerns for a current mission to interfere in my plans..."  
  
She turned back to Doc. "As you have guessed, Ranger, you will  
not be Slaverlorded. What good to me is a slave that can be killed, by  
remote control?"   
  
As Doc's frown deepened, the Queen laughed. "You have, indeed,   
guessed the truth. Your own people, your trusted BETA, your 'good   
friends', they programmed you with a self-destruct mechanism."  
  
The Queen put a finger to her temple. "BETA has planted a Time   
Bomb in each of your heads... and I intend to set it off..."  
  
The Queen's mocking laughter was all that was left behind, as she  
left Doc alone in the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Okay, Buzz, what the hell happened?"  
  
"I suppose you mean with the device that Kilbane had... Zozo, may  
I?"  
  
The Kiwi handed Buzz what was left of the mechanism, and he sat  
down at the table with it. Zozo was looking out the window at the   
street in front of Agbar's bar, keeping an eye out, while Buzzwang   
examined the strange device that had almost killed Gooseman. Daisy   
seemed comfortable enough, though, settling onto a couch near the   
door. Apparently, she used this back room a lot, as a hiding place   
on her visits to Tortuna.  
  
Kilbane's device was a ruined mass of shorted wiring, blackened   
with soot. "At the moment that you encountered Killbane, in his room,   
I heard a complex series of tones, transmitted on a radio frequency.   
They lasted nearly a second, during which you apparently experienced   
extreme pain."  
  
Goose snorted. "The sequence was interrupted, apparently when the  
power supply shorted out on this unit." Buzzwang looked down at the  
device, pulling a few wires out to look at them more closely. "I do  
not think that the power supply Killbane used in this unit was quite  
adequate to the demand. It burned itself out before it could complete  
its intended purpose."  
  
"Which was to kill me," Goose finished.  
  
Buzz nodded. He pulled the disk out of his coat pocket, and  
stared at it for a moment. Then, as if making a decision, he touched  
his palm to the surface.  
  
Being an android, Buzz's expression could not change. Yet, there  
was a slightly different note in his voice when he spoke again. "It is  
as we suspected. After the failure of the Supertrooper Project, the  
members of the Senate Committe on Extra Terrestrial Affairs put in  
place a safe guard on any future projects. That included the Galaxy   
Rangers project. The implants were programmed with a failsafe, to be  
used if any of the Rangers went renegade."  
  
He looked up at Goose. "The signal that Killbane sent was a  
self-destruct signal, intended to cause your implant to overload,  
sending enough electrical energy through the tissue of your brain to  
cause immediate death. There is a lead shield in place, however, to   
prevent the signal from being sent accidently, or by an enemy agent.  
The signal must be loud enough to penetrate the shield, and thus  
cannot be sent over more than a few yards... under normal power."  
  
He looked at the device again. "Killbane's device was constructed  
of inferior parts, and thus failed before it could complete the  
signal. Even so, only your biodefences protected you. If you had been  
one of the other Rangers..."  
  
He looked up again. "You would be dead."  
  
Goose stared at him a moment. "Does Walsh know about this?"  
  
"I doubt it. This appears to be a secret safeguard, added to any  
projects by agents of the Senate during the design process. I doubt  
that anyone at BETA knows about this."  
  
"But Wheiner does." Goose growled. Eve sighed heavily, putting a  
hand to her head. "Don't worry about it," Goose told her. "Now that we  
know about this, we can get it removed. And if it was so secret, maybe   
your father didn't know about it, after all..."  
  
The last was said primarily for Eve's benefit. Goose wasn't sure  
he believed it. "So how can we protect ourselves from this thing?"  
  
Buzz shook his head. "I don't think there is any way. The signal  
must be so loud, in order to overcome the shielding already in your  
implant, that any other shield or jamming signal would be useless. It  
would take an INCREDIBLY powerful signal to jam it, at least twice the  
power of the signal." He held up Kilbane's device. "And you can see  
how much good it would have to have too little power."  
  
At that moment, the door burst open, and their ally darted  
into the room. "Miss O'Mega!" He said breathily, "You should see   
this!"   
  
He gestured for the others to follow, and they did, hiding in   
the shadows of the balcony above the main floor of the bar. As they   
watched, the face of the Queen of the Crown appeared on a monitor   
down below.  
  
"My subjects!" The Queen said, her voice as melodramatic as  
always. "I am pleased to announce that I have captured one of the  
Human Galaxy Rangers..." The camera pulled back to reveal Doc, still  
held in a prison tube. He wasn't trying to break out of the tube, but  
looked around himself furtively, as if trying to find a way to escape.  
  
Buzz inched closer to Gooseman. "This message is being broadcast  
on all subspace frequencies... including those used by Earth!"  
  
"The Galaxy Ranger will make a fine addition to my Psychocrypt,"  
the Queen gloated. "At noon tomorrow, he will become my strongest  
Slaverlord!"  
  
Behind her, Doc suddenly threw himself against the glass. "Zack!  
Niko! It's a trap! Don't..."  
  
He cried out as a field of electricity enveloped him, inside the  
tube. Then Doc slumped, unconscious. The Queen turned back to the  
screen. "My subjects, I declare tomorrow a day of celebration!  
Rejoice, for my victory is yours!"   
  
The screen went dead. Zozo made a thoughtful noise. "It's not  
like the Queen to declare ANYthing a day of celebration. What's she up  
to?"  
  
"Tha' wasn't meant fer her subjects, furry-face. That was meant  
fer th' Rangers."  
  
Goose nodded. "That's got to be it. She's expecting us to mount  
an attack. The Psychocrypt is the perfect base from which to send that   
signal..."  
  
"And with the asteroid field around the Queen's Graveyard dotted  
with those transmitters, she could blanket the whole area with the  
self-destruct signal." Buzzwang paused a moment. "And Pathfinder said   
that the transmitters are also programmed to detect any Ranger Ships   
in the area. So they not only echo the signal, but they tell the Queen   
when to send it, as well."  
  
"Zack and Niko, of course, will ride right to Doc's rescue, and  
jump right into the middle of the field. They're as good as dead."  
  
Daisy flipped the code key for her Interceptor into the air,   
quickly snatching it back into her closed fist. "Unless we get there   
first!"  
  
  



	10. The Queen's Graveyard

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
"We should be out of range of Tortuna's tracking stations,   
Shane," Daisy said. Gooseman nodded, and switched on the subspace   
radio. In a moment, Commander Walsh's face appeared on the small   
viewscreen.  
  
"Ranger Gooseman!" He said, somewhat surprised. He glanced down  
at the panel. "This isn't a BETA registered transmitter! Where ARE  
you?"  
  
"On our way to the Queen's Graveyard, sir," Goose told him. "I'm   
using a borrowed ship. We were unable to use Ranger Two. Have you heard   
from Zack and Niko?"  
  
"We just heard about the Queen's ultimatum a few minutes ago,  
Ranger Gooseman. Rangers Foxx and Niko are on their way to rescue Doc   
now. Do you want their coordinates?"  
  
"Damn!" Goose slammed his fist down on the console. "Commander,  
the message the Queen sent is a trap! I can't say more over the radio,  
but I have reason to believe that she has discovered a weakness in our  
implants. You have to call back Ranger One now!"  
  
Walsh stared at the screen for a moment, then turned away. He  
barked some orders to one of the officers behind him. After a few  
moments, an answer came back. From the look on his face, it was not  
good news.  
  
"About five minutes after Zack reported that they were on their   
way, we lost contact with Ranger One. At first, we thought it was a   
malfunction. We've been trying to re-establish contact, but nothing   
seems to work."  
  
"Damn," Goose said again. "It's too much of a coincidence,  
Commander. The Queen's agents must have sabotaged the communications  
on Ranger One. We'll have to try and get there first."  
  
"I believe that the Queen has set the... trap... to be triggered  
by Ranger One's engines, when it comes out of hyperspace." Buzzwang  
was sitting in the seat behind Goose, and leaned forward so that Walsh   
could see him. "We should be safe, in this ship. This ship also has   
jamming capabilities, so we may be able to get into the Queen's  
Psychocrypt without being detected."  
  
Goose nodded his agreement. "Send me the information on where  
they were when you lost contact..."  
  
Walsh uploaded the data, as Goose continued. "One more thing,  
Commander. Don't let ANYONE know about this conversation. Most  
particularly Senator Wheiner. And keep an eye on him... I will explain  
once we're all safe."  
  
The Commander nodded. "Understood, Goose. Be careful." The screen  
went black.  
  
Zozo leaned forward for a better look, as Goose studied the output   
on the viewscreen. "They're on their way?" He asked. He, Eve, and Buzz   
had taken the back seat, while Daisy, of course, was at the controls.  
  
"Yeah. According to this, Ranger One will be about an hour behind  
us all the way. We're closer to the Queen's Graveyard that they are,  
but that still doesn't buy us much time."  
  
"Can't we intercept them?" Zozo asked.   
  
Daisy shook her head. "Not in Hyperspace. We'd need a Hyperdredge,   
or something like that, to net a ship in Hyperspace. I do have a couple   
of warning beacons, though. Maybe we could drop one in Ranger One's   
path..."  
  
"If Walsh can't get through on the radio, they wouldn't be able to   
pick up a subspace beacon. The Queen's made sure we can't contact them   
through NORMAL channels."  
  
"Maybe this can help." Zozo brought the second device out of his  
pocket. "It seems like Killbane had a backup. Maybe we can drop IT in   
their path. Careful with it, though, we don't want to set it off..."  
  
"You're not kidding," Goose muttered, as he took the little hand  
held unit. He held it gingerly as he studied it.  
  
"That is not the same type of device," Buzzwang said. He leaned   
forward, as Zozo had, while Goose turned the small object over in   
his hand. "I do not believe that is even a transmitter." Buzz held   
out his palm. "May I see it?"  
  
Gooseman handed him the unit. "No, this isn't a transmitter at  
all. It's a bioelectric field generator. It isn't anything like the  
device that activated your implant."  
  
"Are you sure?" Goose asked.  
  
"Yes. Just to be safe, though, I could activate it for a few  
milliseconds, to test its effect..."  
  
"I dunno," Zozo cut in, but Goose held up a hand.  
  
"No. We need to know all we can about what Kilbane was up to. Try  
it."  
  
Buzzwang activated the device, then touched it to Goose's arm.  
There was a flash of light, but nothing else. Buzz studied the device  
for a moment more. Then, suddenly, he held it up, excitedly.  
  
"Of course! I know what this is!" He turned a control on the  
device, then placed it on Goose's arm. He then pressed the switch on  
the top of the device. There was a whine of power, and Goose's badge  
flashed, as he suddenly morphed - into Eve!  
  
"HEY!" Gooseman protested. Even his voice had transformed. Eve  
herself burst out laughing, as did Daisy, while Buzzwang quickly  
pressed the button again. Goose returned to his normal form.  
  
"Sorry, Ranger Gooseman," Buzz said. "Clearly, this is how  
Kilbane was able to impersonate both you and Eve Wheiner. When I  
activated it the first time, it was set for your body form, which is  
why nothing appeared to happen."  
  
"All right, all right, no harm done." Goose scowled at Eve and  
Daisy, who were still giggling. "This doesn't help us, though."  
  
"Not true," Buzzwang noted. "Did you notice that your badge  
activated?"  
  
"Yeah, it did, at that," Zozo agreed.  
  
"The energy used by this device is far inferior to the power used  
by your implant. But it may still be enough to give you one more  
charge. According to the schematics on the Senator's disk, the  
implants always retain a small charge, even when exhausted. Otherwise,  
you could defend yourself from the self-destruct signal, simply by  
using up all your charges."  
  
"When the device activated your bio-defences, your implant  
activated on its own, much the same as when the Mindnet device  
activated Niko's charge. If I can cause the device to expend ALL of  
its charge into your body, it should impart a charge to your implant -  
at least enough to allow that residual charge to be used..."  
  
The android studied it for a moment. "But there may be some   
discomfort..."  
  
"Don't worry about that. That one charge may be the one chance we  
have. Do it."  
  
Buzzwang flipped the device over, and opened up its back. He then  
pulled out a small component and twisted a piece of wire in its place.  
Closing the cover, he adjusted the control, then placed the device  
once again on Goose's arm. He pressed the button.  
  
Goose winced, as a stream of yellow energy flowed up his arm, and  
into his badge. There was a faint crackling noise, and the musical  
sound of his implant powering up. Then the light faded.  
  
Goose rubbed his arm. "There's no way of knowing if it truly  
worked, Ranger Gooseman." Buzz told him. "You won't know until you  
activate your implant, and if you do that, the charge is gone."  
  
"Then we'll just have to hope..." Goose glanced out the window,   
at the red unreality of Hyperspace, flashing past them. "Like Daisy   
said, Hyperspace is a big place. Our only chance is to get to the   
Psychocrypt, and make sure the Queen doesn't send that self-destruct   
signal..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Doc pulled himself painfully to his feet. His body still ached   
from the shock that had knocked him out, but the room was empty now.   
Apparently, the Queen had left to take care of other business, after   
making her broadcast to lure Zack and Niko here.  
  
Blinking his eyes to clear away the last of the spots, Doc looked   
around at the room outside his prison tube. The tube, of course, was   
made of a clear, but tough material, so he could see out, but not get   
out. He could see his CDU sitting on a table next to the big console   
where the Queen had displayed the image of Ranger One. His badge sat   
right next to it, and next to both of them was the disk!  
  
Doc sighed. He had his suspicions about what was on the disk. It   
was clear that the Queen felt that the signal she was about to send was   
fatal, and from the clues he'd collected so far, he had no reason to   
doubt that. Doc only hoped that Buzzwang had managed to figure it out,   
as well.  
  
"Come on, my Gooseman..." Doc said aloud. "You an' Buzz are the   
only chance we've got."  
  
He fell silent as he looked down at his uniform. The Queen had   
been smart enough to take his badge, and with it, his powers. If he   
was going to get out of this, it was going to have to be on his own,   
using his wits.  
  
The hacker smiled. Nothing new about that. He felt around on the   
floor, finding a seam in the deck plate under his feet. He lifted it   
out, revealing the emitter that had delivered him the electric shock   
before. Crouching in the tube, he began to fiddle with the wiring.  
  
  



	11. Sitting Ducks

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
Doc frowned, studying two wires carefully, as he crouched over a  
hole he had opened in the floor. "It's either the red one, or the  
green one." He muttered, "but which? Ah, well..." Reaching down among  
the components of the prison tube, he jerked the red wire out of its  
socket.  
  
The hacker cried out in pain as the tube activated again, sparks  
of electricity crackling up and down the surface of the glass. Through  
sheer force of will, Doc managed to shove the freed wire against a  
bare terminal nearby. The power cable shorted itself out, with a loud  
crack, and the electrical field around him dissipated.  
  
The tube popped open slightly, a cloud of smoke rolling out from  
the fried machinery. Doc shoved the tube up out of his way, and rolled  
out into the open. He lay still for a moment, trying to catch his  
breath. "Momma always told me not to play with live wires."  
  
Brushing himself off, we walked over to the console, grabbing his  
badge and CDU. He then grabbed the Queen's copy of the disk. He shoved  
the disk into a slot and brought up the data, nodding as he scanned  
the file. He then pressed a few more keys, and brought up a schematic  
of the asteroid.  
  
"Time to start walkin'," Doc says. "I won't get anything else  
from this terminal." He shut down the display, then ejected the disk,  
and put it in his pocket. He then crept up to the door, put an ear to  
it, and jerked back as he heard talking on the other side.  
  
Doc put his ear back to the door. There were definately two  
voices, the electronically altered speech of Crown Troopers. One of  
them was trying to engage his partner in conversation, but apparently  
the second guard was not interested in chatting.  
  
"Wish I'd paid more attention when I was here last." Doc looked  
around the room, hoping to spot a vent shaft or some other back way  
out of the little room. There was no way out, and the other prison  
tubes in the room were empty, so he wasn't going to be able to  
distract the guards with a jail break.  
  
"These guys aren't going to be swayed by my charm and wonderful   
sense of style," Doc told himself. "After all, they think basic RED   
is a fashion statement." He held his nose. "Pew. So, come on, Doc,   
THINK your way out of this..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Nearer the surface of the asteroid, Goose, Zozo, and Daisy  
slipped down the corridors, Buzz and Eve a cautious distance behind   
them. Goose watched up and down the corridor, while the others filed   
into an elevator.  
  
"Watch the floors," Goose warned, as they waited for the elevator   
to stop its decent. "The last time we were here, the Queen dropped us  
down a trapdoor. I wouldn't be stupid enough to think that she doesn't  
know we're here..."  
  
"I never though I'd be goin' inta this place..." Daisy muttered,  
looking around her at the small, rectangular room.  
  
"Second thoughts?" Goose asked her.  
  
"Ever since I decided to join this little team... You owe me one,  
Shane..." She gave him a wicked smile. "You're gonna owe me BIG for  
this."  
  
The elevator stopped, and Goose leveled his blaster at the open  
lobby area. Finding it empty, he stepped out and scanned the area.  
  
"Perhaps we should split up," Buzz put in. "It would be more  
difficult for the Queen to track us that way. Zozo and I could try and  
shut down the transmitter which the Queen is going to use to broadcast   
the signal, while you and Daisy rescue Ranger Hartford."  
  
"It might be safer if you an' I split up, Shane," Daisy added.  
She glanced at Zozo. "No offense, fur-face, but if Gooseman an' I get  
captured, I dinna thin' you can get us free..."  
  
"I 'dinna' think that myself," Zozo said with a grin. "I don't  
know the first thing about transmitters, so I could go with you or  
Goose to find Doc."  
  
"Sounds good to me. You got something I can draw you a map on?"  
  
Daisy dug around in the pockets of her spacesuit, and pulled out   
a scrap of paper, a cleaning bill to the original owner of Daisy's  
ship. Goose sketched a crude map on it, then pointed to a spot on the   
map.  
  
"If the room we saw Doc in is the one I think it was, it should   
be around here... Zozo, you probably know this place better than Daisy,   
since you were briefed along with the rest of BETA when we came back."  
  
He looked up at Daisy. "Even so, I've only seen this place a few   
times, myself, and I wasn't in a hurry to see it again. That's why I'm   
not trying to point out likely places for guards, they're probably in   
different places by now..."  
  
Buzzwang gestured at another point on the map. "Analysis of the   
layout of the asteroid from the outside would suggest that the sensor   
and transmission equipment are located on the upper face. I would   
expect our target to be near the transport tube to that area."  
  
"... Which is nearer the surface than the Psychocrypt," Goose   
added, "for all the good that'll do. Daisy, you take the map. I'll  
count on Buzz and his computer memory. All right, let's go."  
  
Daisy nodded, and took the slip of paper, then she and Zozo took  
off down one of the passageways. Gooseman stared after them for a  
moment, then gestured Buzz and Eve to follow as he headed off in the  
other direction.   
  
* * * * *  
  
"Real pretty", Daisy remarked, closing the drawer. The alien that  
lay inside it, unconscious, was of a type she'd never seen before. She  
wasn't sure she wanted to see it again.  
  
"This is where the Queen stores her victims before she sends 'em  
to the Psychocrypt," Zozo told her. "The Rangers told me all about it   
after their first visit to this place.  
  
"Well, we're ginna haf' ta turn around. This is a dead end." The  
Irish outlaw made a quick sweep of the room. There was only the one  
door that they'd entered through.  
  
"Ya know," Daisy commented. "If I were this Queen, I wou' set a  
trap hereabouts, so if somebody in here thawed out, he wouldna be able  
to leave..."  
  
Zozo thought for a moment. "If I remember correctly, when the   
Rangers first came here, they fell down into that pit trap right   
after discovering a Gherkin, frozen like that."  
  
"They may ha' trigger'd an alarm. An' we may have just doon the  
same thin'. I'd better check for booby traps."  
  
Zozo held very still, a look of rising panic in his round eyes.  
"Do you think it's okay to move?"  
  
"If it isn't, it's too late now." Daisy scanned the room  
carefully, moving from drawer to drawer, checking up and the walls and  
even along the ceiling. "Still, don' go near th' door 'til I've had a  
chance ta check it. Most likely tha's where a trap would be."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere!" Zozo said. "Wait..." He paused, one of  
his pointed ears cocking as he turned to look back at the wall. He was  
clearly listening to a sound out in the passage that went past the  
room. "We've got company!"  
  
"Great!" Daisy pulled out her blaster. "We're sitting ducks in  
here." She glanced around, then up, at a grating set into the cieling  
above her head.   
  
"That's a vent shaft, I think," she told Zozo. "It's the only way  
outta here... but if I were Queenie, I'd have it trapped. Kin we fight  
our way out?"  
  
Zozo shook his head. "There's about ten of 'em."  
  
Daisy sized the little Kiwi up, then turned back to the grating.  
"Then we can't fight our way out." She fired her blaster at the vent,   
and it swung open. "Come on, furry-face, I'll boost you up there."  
  
With the outlaw's help, Zozo climbed up into the shaft, then  
turned around to help Daisy up. As a handful of Crown Troopers burst  
into the room, opening fire, Daisy leaped, grabbing the little Ziwi's  
arm. He cried out as her weight pulled down on him, but somehow  
managed to keep his grip on the edge of the shaft, until Daisy could  
grab onto the opening and pull herself up.  
  
"Come on, we've gotta hurry," Daisy snapped, as she scrambled   
down the vent shaft. Finding another grate ahead of them, she began   
to kick at it. As Zozo came up behind her, he sniffed the air, his  
eyes growing wide.   
  
Daisy looked up, to see a cloud of gas rolling down the vent  
towards them. With one final kick, she knocked the grate open, and  
dropped into the room below.   
  
Zozo dropped after her, and the two of them charged out of the  
room. By the time the guards arrived at the room, Daisy and Zozo were  
already long gone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Elsewhere in the asteroid, Gooseman readied his blaster. The two  
Troopers guarding the room in front of them were caught completely by  
suprise as he darted out of the corridor, taking out each with a  
well-placed shot. As he, Buzzwang and Eve stepped up to the fallen  
guards, he fiddled with one of their helmets.  
  
The Ranger worked for a few more moments, then harumphed. With a  
tug, he pulled the Crown Agent's head off. He held it up, studying the  
circuitry that now hung from the Trooper's neck. "At least we've  
answered the question of whether they're androids or armored soldiers."  
  
"Not necessarily," Buzzwang countered. "It could be that the  
Queen uses robot guards here in her Psychocrypt, because they are less  
prone to rebellion. She may also use robots only for the lower level  
Troopers, with living beings as the leaders."  
  
Gooseman looked at him for a second, then shrugged. "Oh, well. It  
looks like we won't be using their armor now."  
  
"Perhaps not... but I should be able to salvage the parts I need  
to repair my own circuitry."  
  
"I don't think we should stay in one place for that long," Goose  
countered. "The Queen is probably tracking our movements even as we  
speak."  
  
"I am not detecting any monitoring signals in the area," Buzz  
told him. "And we have been careful to avoid the sensors I have  
detected. For the moment, I think we are safe. But if you feel we must  
keep moving, I could perform some minor repairs while walking. Enough  
that I would no longer need Eve's support, at least."  
  
"I don't mind," Eve protested.  
  
"Yeah, but with Buzz repaired, we could protect you better,"  
Goose told her. "It's dangerous enough for you to be here as it is. I  
would have left you behind on the ship, but I was afraid that you  
might be spotted. Then we'd have Doc AND you to rescue from the  
Queen."  
  
Eve blanched as the Queen was mentioned. "Well, I know I'm safe  
with you, Shane."  
  
  



	12. Welcome To The Psychocrypt

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 12  
  
  
Daisy crept stealthily down the passage. It wound around a few  
times, then finally ended, in a small chamber. Daisy held her weapon  
at the ready, as she entered the room, Zozo right behind her.  
  
Zozo cried out as he spotted a Crown Trooper sitting in a dark  
corner, and Daisy leveled her gun at him. When he didn't move,  
however, she stepped closer. "He's dead," she said, putting a finger  
against his neck. She then lifted off his helmet. "He's been shot..."  
  
"There's another one over here... it's a robot. The circuitry's  
all fried, and half of his head's gone."  
  
"This one's blaster's gone."  
  
Zozo looked up. "Doc?"  
  
"Could be." Daisy nodded, then walked over to examine the robot.  
"No, wait. This one was shot at point blank range, right in the head.  
In fact..." she looked over at the other guard. "... I'd say he shot  
the other guard, and then shot himself. See, his blaster's almost  
empty. He must have set it on max."  
  
Zozo looked at the blaster, which was itself half melted. "What  
does it mean?"  
  
Daisy stood up. There were several doors across the back wall of  
this room, as if it were a guard post. As Daisy opened the first of  
them, she realized that she was in the right place.  
  
"It's the room we saw on the video screen!" Zozo said, peering  
around Daisy. One of the prison pods stood half open, its floor  
burned and blackened by some sort of fire. Daisy walked over to the  
pod, looking down through the open panel at the hopeless jumble of  
wires.  
  
"Looks like Ranger Hartford didn't need our help after all!"  
Daisy said with a grin. She glanced around the room, then walked back  
over to Zozo. "Come on, furry-face. The guards haven't noticed he's  
gone, so we don' want 'em to catch us in here."  
  
Daisy closed the door behind her as she and Zozo slipped out of  
the room, and down the dark passage. "Doc's been lucky so far, but  
when these two don' report in, the Queen'll know he's escaped. We have  
ta find him before they do."  
  
"Where do you think he'll go?"  
  
"The transmitter, probably. If he knows about what the Queen  
plans fer his friends, I kinda doubt he'd try an' escape. So I guess  
we need to join back up with Shane an' Buzzwang."  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
Near the northern surface of the asteroid, Gooseman and Buzzwang  
approached the communications room. Two guards had been posted to  
watch the area, but Goose was able to catch them by suprise. These   
guards turned out to be human, but they had reached their goal. There   
was no need for disguises now.  
  
As they entered the large chamber, however, there didn't seem to  
be anything out of the ordinary. Just several rows of consoles, some  
computer banks, and an open doorway into a machinery room behind.  
"So?" Goose commented. "Any idea which of these gizmos is the  
transmitter?"  
  
Buzzwang looked around the room, clearly concerned. "I do not  
know... a device capable of generating the kind of power needed to  
flood this area with your implants' self-destruct signal should be  
fairly obvious. Yet I see nothing of that kind in here."  
  
"You mean, we're in the wrong place?"  
  
"I... I am not sure. It seems so." He walked over to one of the  
consoles, began to work the switches and buttons. Goose just stared  
about the room, fingering his blaster. Maybe he could fix a hovercar,  
or jury-rig a circuit to overload a force field, but he was way out of  
his league now.  
  
"Yes," Buzzwang said, after a moment. "It seems that your initial  
impression was correct. The transmitter is located in Engineering, in  
the center of the asteroid. Apparently, it needed a direct connection  
to the power supply."  
  
"Can you shut it down from here?"  
  
"I am afraid not." Buzzwang typed a command into a console, and  
watched the results that scrolled past. "The device is controlled from  
Engineering. However, it is programmed to respond to an incoming  
message from the sensors scattered around the Graveyard, to detect the  
Hyperspace signature of Ranger One. That signal should come through  
here."  
  
"So it may be possible to shut it down."  
  
"Yes, but it would take time."  
  
Gooseman looked over Buzz's shoulder at the console. "You didn't  
sound any alarms when you logged onto that thing, did you?"  
  
"Of course not." Buzz managed to look insulted, even considering  
the limited motility of his metallic face. "I used a cryptographic  
cypher to break into their system and override the security on this  
console."  
  
"Ah." Gooseman said. "Of course."  
  
"Shall I attempt to shut down the incoming signal?" Buzzwang  
asked.  
  
"Yeah." Goose nodded, and Buzzwang began busily typing commands  
into the keyboard.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Shane an' tha' bucket o' bolts android should a' reached the  
transmitter by now." Daisy commented.  
  
"Unless they got held up."  
  
Daisy and Zozo continued down the passageway, the lady outlaw  
holding her blaster at the ready. "Well, once we track down Ranger  
Hartford, we kin get outta here."  
  
"If I know Doc, he's headed for the transmitter, too."  
  
Daisy shook her head. "No. He's goin' the other way -- toward the  
center of the asteroid. Maybe lookin' fer a good place to hide."  
  
"That doesn't sound like the Doc I know," Zozo commented.  
  
"Yeah, but, remember, as far as he knows, he's all alone on this  
rock. He doesn't know we followed him. An' he may not know abou' the  
booby-trapped badges. He may just be tryin' ta keep outta th'  
Psychocrypt until Zack an' Niko can rescue him..."  
  
Zozo shrugged. "Maybe."  
  
They fell silent for a moment, as Daisy stuck her head around a  
corner. She drew back, quickly. "We've been spotted! Half a dozen  
Troopers' 'r comin' this way!"  
  
Daisy ran back in the other direction, the little Kiwi right  
behind her. They both drew up short, however, as another group of  
Crown Agents cut off their escape.  
  
"This way!" Daisy yelled, pointing out a side passage. The two  
fugitives disappeared down it, the Queen's guards right on their  
heels. One of the Troopers stopped to speak into his wrist  
communicator.  
  
"We've found the prowlers, Magesty. A woman and a Kiwi."  
  
"Ranger Niko!" The Queen's voice sounded astonished. "Impossible!  
She is on Ranger One with Foxx!"  
  
"No, it's not the Galaxy Ranger. She isn't wearing a Ranger  
uniform."  
  
"Someone else, then. Hm. But the Kiwi must be Zozo. Take them  
both alive."  
  
"Yes, Magesty," The commander shut off his wristcom and headed  
after his men.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What is this?" Buzzwang paused, looking at his display for a  
moment, then began typing in more commands. He studied the readouts  
intently, then redoubled his efforts, his manner almost frantic as  
he typed away at the control console.  
  
"What's going on?" Gooseman walked over from the door, where he  
had been keeping an eye on the door. Eve was watching over Buzzwang's  
shoulder.  
  
"There is some sort of a blip in the system. I thought at first  
that I was being tracked, but then it turned and headed away from  
communications. It seems to be searching for power sources."  
  
"Doc?"  
  
"It could be. I am attempting to isolate the blip now, but it  
is evading me."  
  
Gooseman nodded. "It's got to be Doc. He must be trying to shut  
down the transmitter from somewhere else... maybe Engineering. You  
keep trying to catch that thing, and I'll go see if I can find him."  
  
Buzzwang looked up. "I will have to stop work on shutting down  
the incoming signal."  
  
"If we're lucky, that's what Doc's blip is doing. Do what you  
can to catch it, and if you can't, get back to work on jamming the  
signal."  
  
"Right away, Ranger Gooseman," Buzz agreed. He continued his work  
at the console, while Gooseman slipped out the door into the hall, and  
disappeared down the passage.  
  
Moments later, however, he charged back into the room. Activating  
the control to slide the door shut, he then pulled out his blaster,  
and shot the control panel. The Ranger then grabbed Eve and Buzzwang,  
and shoved them both through the doorway into the machinery room.  
  
"Hide in there!" Gooseman hissed. "Don't come out for ANYTHING!"  
  
His warning was punctuated as the sound of laser fire was heard  
on the other side of the door. A shower of sparks burst from the door  
as it was melted open. Goose leaped behind a console, and began to  
fire at the Troopers charging into the room.  
  
He was able to take out two or three of them, but the rest  
swarmed around their fallen comrades, overwhelming him. He was forced  
to duck a hail of return fire, and then one of the men leaped over the  
console to face him. For a moment, Goose involuntarily reached for his  
badge. Then, thinking better of it, he slugged the Trooper instead.  
  
As five or six of the Crown Agents began to join their ally,  
however, Gooseman was quickly subdued. Two of the armored soldiers  
held the Ranger, pulling him out into the middle of the room. Near the  
door, the other Troopers moved aside, as a tall woman in scarlet swept  
into the room.  
  
"Galaxy Ranger Gooseman," The Queen said, smiling. "I'll have to  
make sure that Macross and Kilbane pay for their betrayal. But it is  
no matter. I was, of course, aware of their plot all along... and I  
knew that you would try and save your friends."  
  
"Bring him to my Psychocrypt!" She ordered. "And fetch Ranger  
Hartford, as well. I want them both together when their allies arrive,  
and the self-destruct signal goes off."  
  
As the Queen turned and headed out of the room, sweeping her  
cloak about her in a dramatic arc, Gooseman glanced back at the inner  
room. Buzzwang, back in the shadows, watched as his friend was taken  
away.  
  
  



	13. Time's Up

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 13  
  
  
"So... Galaxy Ranger Shane Gooseman... once again a guest in my  
Psychocrypt." The Queen smiled as she regarded Goose, his arms held  
firmly by two Crown Troopers to either side of him.   
  
"Do not worry... as I told your friend Ranger Hartford, I've no  
desire to create a Slaverlord, only to have it killed by remote  
control. I prefer to simply kill you myself."  
  
The Queen walked over to one of her control consoles, to check an  
instrument, while Gooseman seethed. *Just give me a moment* he said to  
himself. *That's all I need*  
  
The Queen turned around. "So... Galaxy Ranger. How does it feel  
to know that you're being destroyed not by one of my creations, but by  
one of your own?"  
  
Goose snorted. "If you're trying to goad me, it won't work. I  
never had any illusions about how the Board felt about me. I never  
trusted them or Senator Wheiner."  
  
"But your friends... you didn't expect them to betray your  
friends, did you?"  
  
Goose was silent. As the Queen laughed, a second squad of Troops  
entered the Crypt. They had two prisoners with them, a red-haired  
woman in a orange-gold space suit, and a wildly struggling Kiwi.  
The guards weren't holding Daisy's arms, but two of the guards did   
have their blasters trained on her. The leader of the squad stood  
beside them, greeting the Queen as she walked over to study the new  
arrivals.  
  
"Daisy O'Mega, I presume", she said, studying the Irish girl's  
face intently. "Macross mentioned you to me a few times. I suppose he  
should have expected you to help out the 'handsome' Shane Gooseman..."  
  
"My Queen..." The Trooper began. It was obvious, from the way he  
averted his eyes, and the hesitation in his voice, that the guard had  
bad news to report.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He paused a moment more. "My Queen, the other Ranger... he is  
gone!"  
  
The Queen suddenly looked infuriated. "What! That computer hacker  
is loose in my Psychocrypt! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!"  
  
The Trooper winced. "We're not sure, highness. He appears to have  
escaped the prison pod. Two of the guards were knocked out."  
  
"FIND HIM!" The Queen roared. "And take her to the pod!" She  
gestured at Daisy. "I want a Psychocrystal made from her immediately!"  
  
Now, Daisy lunged forward, but the two Crown Agents grabbed her  
immediately. As she struggled, the guards dragged her over toward one  
of the columns that dominated the room. Goose also tried to pull free,  
but the guards still held him fast.  
  
"Now... Ambassador Zozo..." The Queen stepped over to face the   
little Kiwi, who was still trying to free himself from the Troopers   
holding onto him. "I told you that you would serve me, Ambassador.   
Your people will be mine again."  
  
"Not if the Galaxy Rangers can help it!" The Kiwi cried, boldly.  
"And it doesn't matter if your plan succeeds! There will be others!"  
  
"Brave words. But not very reasonable ones. If the humans do not  
trust these Galaxy Rangers, what makes you think they will recruit  
more? They are as good as mine. Their own distrust of each other has  
been their undoing."  
  
Goose snarled as the Queen looked at him. Across the room, Daisy  
was trying to pull free, but each step was bringing her closer to her  
doom. Goose steeled himself. If he was going to act, he was going to  
have to act now...  
  
But before he could move, an alarm sounded, and a red light began  
to flash on a console behind the Queen. She whirled to look at it,  
even as one of the techs called out. "My Queen! The sensors have  
picked up Ranger One! The Rangers are here!"  
  
The Queen turned, her laughter one of triumph, as the sound of a  
generator powering up rumbled underfoot. A loud, high-pitched whine  
filled the room.  
  
"Your time is up, Ranger Gooseman! And for your friend as well!  
He may have escaped my prisons, but he cannot escape the self-destruct   
signal!"  
  
Goose gritted his teeth against the pain, as a flare of light  
erupted from his badge, but it was followed almost immediately by an  
explosion from the console. The tech leaped away as a shower of sparks  
erupted from his panel, and suddenly the lights in the room flickered  
and went out. Red emergency lighting came on, and the sound of  
shrieking metal shook the deck plates underfoot.  
  
"What is going on!" The Queen shrieked, as the high-pitched whine  
of the self-destruct abruptly cut off. The light from Gooseman's badge  
faded, but erupted again, as he reached up to trigger his badge. There  
was a sputtering noise as the jury-rigged charge dissipated without  
effect. But the two guards, mistakingly assuming that the Ranger's  
charge had activated, let go of him.  
  
Goose quickly slugged one of his guards and grabbed his blaster.   
With a well-placed shot, he took out one of the men holding  
Daisy. She kicked the other, then grabbed HIS gun. Gooseman and Daisy  
charged in different directions, firing, as  
the guards opened up on them.  
  
The Queen grabbed Zozo, holding him as a shield. "Get them!" She  
yelled to her Troopers. "And get that transmitter back on line!"  
  
"Sire!" One of the techs yelled. "Fires in level 15, 18, 25...  
and now level 12!" He paused a moment. "Gunfire in hangar bay 3!  
Troopers report a squad of Galaxy Rangers attacking! Wait, there are  
more in the Central Control!"  
  
"It's a false alarm, you morons!" The Queen roared. "That  
hacker's in the system! Shut down those alarms, and track him down!"  
  
"Right behind you, Queenie!"  
  
Doc charged into the room, slamming into her. He grabbed Zozo,   
pulling the little Kiwi behind him, as he leveled his blaster at the   
Queen. She stumbled away from the Ranger, gesturing with her hands as  
he fired, only barely managing to summon a shield in time. Doc's laser  
blast bounced off the field of purple energy, as it wrapped around to  
protect her from Goose and Daisy's fire as well.  
  
But as the Rangers made a break for the door, the Queen found her  
own troops trying to duck behind the shield. "Get back out there!" She   
berated them, shoving the Troop leader out in the open to accentuate   
her point. "I don't buy you that Powered Armor for its looks you know!"  
  
As the Troopers took off down the passage after the Rangers, the  
Queen turned back to her techs. "Get that transmitter back on line! I  
don't care if you have to use the last reserves of our battery power,  
and transmit the signal through your headsets to do it, but TRANSMIT  
THAT SIGNAL!!!!!"  
  
The Rangers charged blindly down the hallway, Goose and Daisy  
firing at their pursuers as they ran. "Not bad, Doc," Goose commented.  
"You're timing could not have been better."  
  
"Well, I had the transmitter set to blow the moment it detected  
Zack and Niko's ship. But I didn't program the security alarms, I  
didn't have time..."  
  
"Must have been Buzzwang, then." Gooseman grinned. "I left him in  
the Communications Center."  
  
Doc laughed, but then doubled over, stumbling, pressing a hand to  
his temple. Daisy managed to grab him before he could fall. "You  
okay?" She asked, helping the hacker with a supporting arm as he ran  
alongside her.  
  
"Yeah..." He said tightly, grimacing as if in pain. "I can...  
handle it. We need to get outta here..."  
  
"Not so fast," Goose said. "My biodefences protected me from the  
charge again. But you might not have been so lucky..."  
  
Doc waved him off. "No, it's not that..." He stumbled again, but  
managed to keep the pace. "It's... it's Pathfinder. I didn't have  
enough charge to bring him back out, but I sent him into the machine  
anyway. He's... he's gone."  
  
"Tha' little will-o-the-wisp thing?" Daisy asked him. "But he's  
just a program... isn't he? Can't ya make another one?"  
  
Doc grimaced, putting his hand to his head again. "Part of him is  
code, yes... but part's in here." He tapped his skull. "Was in here."  
  
He sighed. "I felt it... when I lost him. Since then I've been  
feeling a little dizzy... it'll probably pass."  
  
Goose glanced back behind them. The Troopers were falling behind,  
and had stopped firing at them, but they were still in hot pursuit.  
"In that case, then, we need to get you back to Daisy's ship, and get  
you out of here."  
  
"An' I don' care what you say, Shane, tha' implant looked like it  
burned you a bit," Daisy added. "We need ta get the BOTH of ya outta  
here..."  
  
"And Buzzwang," Doc added. "I'm not leaving without Buzzwang,  
he's the most valuable member of this team..."  
  
Goose looked back at him, amused. "What makes you say that?"  
  
Doc grinned. "Because right now, he's the only one of us that  
doesn't have one of these things in his head." He tapped his temple  
again. "Which means, as soon as we get back, he's the one who gets to  
punch Wheiner in the nose!"  
  
The foursome took off down the passage for the Communications  
Center. Anyone overhearing them as they passed by would wonder, given  
the seriousness of the situation, why they were all laughing.  
  
  



	14. Time To Get Dangerous

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 14  
  
  
As the Galaxy Rangers charged into the communications room, they  
were drawn up short at the sight of two Crown Troopers waiting for  
them. But the lead Trooper took off his helmet, revealing the metal  
head of Buzzwang. He began taking off the rest of the armor, while Eve  
ran past him towards the Rangers.  
  
"SHANE!" Eve cried, running straight to Gooseman. She hugged him,  
tightly, seemingly unmindful of the bulky armor she was wearing. "I  
was so scared! When the Queen took you away... and then when I heard  
the signal go off..."  
  
"It's all right," Goose told her. "I'm fine. Doc came through for  
us, and you and Buzz were able to cover our exit."   
  
Buzzwang nodded. "Once I realized that Ranger Hartford had  
already sabotaged the transmitter, I was able to concentrate on the  
Queen's security systems. I have also downloaded extensive information  
on the Psychocrypt and its operational parameters."  
  
"Come on, you guys," Doc yelled. "Let's get out of here before  
Buzz winds up wearing that uniform permanently -- and we get fitted  
for Slaverlord robes!"  
  
"That is another point. This Crown Trooper armor should double as  
a space suit", Buzzwang said, handing it to Doc. "Since Gooseman,  
Daisy and Zozo are still in their suits, that'll save us having to go  
back all the way to the lateral port where we left yours."  
  
"My luck's holding out," Doc said. He slipped into the uniform in  
seconds flat. "So let's go, already."  
  
"Wait!" Buzzwang said, holding up a hand. "I also have someone  
here who wants to talk to you."  
  
Doc turned to look at him, confused, as the robot's voice shifted  
into a much higher register. "Hey, Doco!" The voice said. "Guess who?"  
  
"Pathfinder?!!!"   
  
"I intercepted him in the computer system, searching for a power  
source," Buzzwang said. "Apparently he fled into the system when your  
charge gave out, knowing that he wouldn't be able to return to you  
without a physical form. I was able to download him into my system  
just moments before he disippated."  
  
The hacker held out his CDU, grinning widely. Buzz touched his  
finger to the I/O port, and the tweaker passed back into its "home"  
with a flare of blue light. There was a cacophone of greetings from  
the CDU as the other tweakers welcomed their ally back.  
  
"Way to go, Pathfinder!" Doc told him. "It must have just been   
your physical form that I felt dissipate."  
  
"Let's go, let's go," Zozo interrupted, jumping up and down. "I  
think I hear more Troopers coming!"  
  
The Rangers raced back down the passageway toward the upper port  
elevator, Daisy and Eve bringing up the rear. They were able to make   
it back to one of the elevator tubes, but then an electronic voice came  
from behind.  
  
"Galaxy Rangers, halt!" Daisy whirled, taking out the trooper in  
a single shot. As Eve and the others crowded into the elevator, Goose  
and Daisy provided cover fire. Then they ducked through the doors  
themselves, just before they closed.  
  
"I think they've figured out where we are," Doc commented, as the  
elevator jerked to a halt. He ripped open the control panel, and stuck  
his CDU into among the wiring. "I may not have any charges left, but  
that doesn't mean the Doctor cannot operate."  
  
After a few moments, the elevator began to move again. The doors  
slid open, and the Rangers dove out into the hall, Buzzwang shielding  
Eve's body with his own, as he pulled her to safety. The small room  
erupted with light, as the few Crown Troopers left to guard the portal  
opened fire, but the Rangers took them out quickly.  
  
After a quick check of their suits, Doc threw open the portal,  
and the Rangers drifted out into space above the asteroid. "Me ship's  
over there," Daisy said to Doc, pointing at a smaller rock drifting   
nearby. "The cloak's on, so hopefully Queenie doesn't know where it  
is."  
  
"No, but I think she knows where we are..." Doc pointed in  
another direction, as a pair of Crown fighters swooped down on their  
position. The Rangers were forced to duck back inside the entry  
cavern, as blaster fire ripped out chunks of stone from the asteroid  
next to them.  
  
"Great," Daisy growled. "They got us pinned doon. One o' us  
is ginna have ta make a break for the ship, an' provide cover fire."  
  
Gooseman frowned. "Well, time to get dangerous..."  
  
Doc triggered the comm unit in his Trooper uniform. "This is  
Agent 6 7/8, I have captured the escaped prisoners! I'll escort them  
back to the Psychocrypt, there is no need for further assistance."  
  
"Nice try, Galaxy Ranger," came back the electronically altered  
reply, "but we know that you took two of our uniforms."  
  
"Someone distract them!" Zozo shouted, excitedly. "I'll make a  
break for the ship, under the cover of the rocks! As small as I am,  
they might not spot me!"  
  
"Good idea," Goose agreed. "Daisy?"  
  
She grinned at him provocatively. "I'd follow you anywhere,   
Shane."  
  
"Just keep down, or you might regret saying that," Triggering   
the jet pack on his red-and-white space suit, he shot out towards the   
approaching ships. Daisy followed a moment later, a streak of gold   
trailing just behind him. The two opened fire with their blasters,   
their shots useless against the armor of the fighters, but the ships   
were drawn off to chase them.  
  
"Wish me luck," Zozo said, and rocketed off in the other  
direction.   
  
"Good luck," Buzzwang answered.   
  
"Mama always said there'd be days like this," added Doc. He pulled   
Buzz and Eve down behind an outcropping of rock, out of sight, while he   
watched their teammates take on the Crown Fighters.  
  
Goose and Daisy, being much smaller and faster targets, succeeded  
in keeping ahead of their adversaries for a few moments. But then a  
stray blast came within a hair's breadth of disintegrating Daisy. The  
shot detonated, the concussion sending her spinning backwards, right  
into the path of the advancing fighter. At the last minute, Goose shot  
past, scooping up the unconscious outlaw and pulling her to safety.  
  
But the fighter that had been following him had noticed Zozo's  
rocket trail. As the other ship kept up the pursuit of Goose and  
Daisy, the Crown Trooper banked his craft into a tight turn, and came  
at Zozo from ahead.  
  
"Oh, Mothmoose pellets!" The little Kiwi shouted. "I'm in the  
soup now!"  
  
A bright, four pointed blaze of red light opened just behind the  
fighter. The familar blue and white shape of a Ranger ship burst into  
view. It opened fire on the fighter, sending it spinning out of  
control.  
  
"Ranger One?!!!" Goose triggered his intercom. "Zack! Niko! Get   
out of here, quick! The Queen's set a trap, and it may still go off   
any second!"  
  
"It's me, Goose," came ALMA's voice, through the intercom. "When  
you didn't return to Frontier, I set off trying to track you. And then  
when I intercepted the Queen's transmission, I came here."  
  
"It's Ranger Two!" Buzzwang put in, unnecessarily. The Ranger  
ship swooped down to the asteroid, and Zozo zipped in help his friends  
aboard. The four quickly hurried into the airlock, even as ALMA  
extended it out to meet them.  
  
With Zozo providing cover fire from the ship, Goose was able to  
make it to the ship with Daisy. She regained consciousness as he was  
pulling off her helmet.  
  
"I owe you one there, Ranger." She said, somewhat contritely.  
  
Gooseman smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. Let's just say I'm  
sure Walsh will give you that pardon after all the help you've been."  
  
She grinned back. "He'd better replace my Interceptor, too. I  
don' have an AI to guide her home, like you do."  
  
"ALMA!" Goose cut in. "Circle around to the east face and drop   
a tractor beam on that gold-colored Interceptor, hidden behind an  
asteroid there."  
  
"Shane." Daisy said, "You're too good to me."  
  
"I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble," he countered with a  
grin. As he stood up and headed towards the control console, ALMA  
spoke.  
  
"I have relayed the news about the self-destruct signal, and our  
escape, to Ranger One. They have set a return course for BETA."  
  
"Then let's join them."  
  
"Yes, Goose." The stars outside the windows turned a brilliant  
red, and shot towards the ship as they rocketed into Hyperspace.  
  
  



	15. Back To BETA

Galaxy Rangers: "Time Bomb"  
  
Chapter 15  
  
  
Doc sat up, rubbing his temple experimentally. "Is there any  
pain?" Q-Ball asked him.  
  
"No. It just feels a little... funny."  
  
"That's to be expected." He looked over at the other Rangers as  
they also sat up. Goose was looking grim, and Niko somewhat relieved.  
Zack was looking the others over, as Q-Ball was, watching for any sign  
that the implants had not taken. On the other side of a glass window,   
Daisy, Buzzwang, and Zozo were also watching.   
  
"Well, there's only one way to find out if the operation was  
successful."  
  
Zack nodded. Triggering his badge, he was reassured to see the  
familiar yellow glow wash over his right arm. The other Rangers then  
activated their badges as well, Doc pulling out his CDU to open his  
portal.  
  
The tweakers zipped out into the room. "We're all A-OK, Doc-o!"  
Pathfinder squeaked, as he whirled around Doc's head.   
  
The hacker grinned. "You just remember how close you came to  
being deleted. I'll remind you of this the next time you want to lag  
behind in some system 'Just one more minute'." He pitched his voice  
higher to mimic the tweaker for the last couple of words.  
  
All four of them looked up as Walsh walked into the outer room.  
He said a few words to Daisy, then stepped through the door and into  
the inner chamber.  
  
"What's the news, sir?" Zack asked him. Behind, Daisy and the  
other two Rangers also joined them.  
  
"Well, Wheiner claims to have had no knowledge of what was on the  
disk. 'Project Failsafe', as he calls it, was supposedly put into  
place by his predecessor, with strict instructions only to read the  
disk if one of the Series 5 Rangers went renegade."  
  
"I'd be concerned about what Wheiner considered 'renegade'."  
Goose muttered.  
  
"Indeed," agreed Walsh. "The point is, I've got nothing I can pin  
on him. Most of the members of the Council on Extraterrestrial Affairs  
that were in office at that time are now retired. And those who were  
not are claiming, like Wheiner, that they were not aware of the exact  
details of the project."  
  
"Well, at least Q-Ball was able to remove that 'feature'," Doc  
said, putting a finger to his temple.  
  
Zack nodded. "The Queen will no longer be able to use it as a  
weapon against us. And..." He was interrupted as a brightly colored,   
female, teenaged whirlwind burst into the room.  
  
"Shane!" Eve asked, hurrying to the Supertrooper's side. "Are you  
all right? How did everything go?"  
  
"Everything's going to be fine," Goose assured her. "We were able  
to remove the self-destruct code from our implants."  
  
"That's great," Eve purred, wrapping her arms around Goose's. He  
pulled back a little, obviously a little taken aback by her sudden  
affection, and looked up at Niko for help. To his suprise, she was  
scowling at him.  
  
Daisy chuckled. Eve turned to look back at her, then looked at  
Walsh. "What about Miss O'Mega? Did she get that pardon?"  
  
"Eve!" Goose protested.   
  
"BETA has dropped all currently standing charges against Daisy  
O'Mega," Walsh said. To Goose's confusion, he seemed to be amused by  
something. But as he glanced at Daisy, his expression became more  
stern. "But this covers only current charges. If she gets in trouble  
again, BETA will not extend the same courtesy twice."  
  
"I'll be makin' sure ye won' have cause to," Daisy put in. "I  
canna say I'll no be BENDIN' the law a bit, but I'll steer clear of ye  
Rangers from nae on."   
  
"Any chance of you staying and working for us?" Zack put in.   
  
Daisy glanced at Goose for a moment, but then she looked at Niko.  
"No. I've lived that life. I dinna wan' ta go back to it." There was a  
short silence while she paused, thoughtfully, but then she looked up  
again, a mischievous smile on her face.   
  
"Mind you, if SHANE asked..." Daisy paused for effect. "And he   
asked... nicely..." Niko's scowl deepened.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you helped Shane rescue me," Eve cooed, pulling  
the Ranger a little closer. Shane made a feeble attempt to extricate  
himself from the teenager's grip, but she only held him tighter.   
  
From his other side, Daisy wrapped an arm around his neck. "I was  
MORE than happy to help," she said, leaning in close to the Ranger.  
  
Niko stood up, still scowling. "Well, if you will excuse me..."  
she gave Gooseman a withering stare. Goose just stared back,  
completely confused. "I'm SURE that I have better things to do."  
  
"Wait!" Goose stood up, dragging Eve along with him, as Niko  
stomped out of the room. He followed, severly hampered by the  
affectionate teenager clinging to his arm.  
  
"Interesting." Buzzwang commented. "I rescued her once, as well,  
but she did not demonstrate the same gratitude towards me."  
  
"Oh, I dinna want ta miss this. This is ginna be WAY too much   
fun." Daisy quickly followed the two Rangers and the enamoured Eve   
out the door.  
  
Doc chuckled. "Some guys have all the luck..."  
  
  
THE END  
  
  



End file.
